By Lerato Ndlovu
Government has availed temporary funds for the sports and arts sector as Covid 19 relief packages.
Acting Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, Paul Mavima in a statement said his ministry has availed a sum of ZWL$10 million each for the Sports and Arts sector.
He added that the global pandemic brought an unexpected halt to the entire sports, cultural and creative industries in thecountry.
“The Ministry notes that the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought an unexpected break to the flow in the entire ecosystem of Sports and Cultural and Creative Industries in the country.
“This sudden cessation of programmes and scheduling of events have had a direct sting on the major products of the industries, agreeably, Sports and Arts are reliable sources of income for many in the country and the disruptions of various calendar events due to COVID-19 has prompted Government to intervene by way of a Relief Fund”.
He alluded that this is just a temporary funding to boost the sectors while broad and sustainable interventions are being worked on.
“This is a temporary intervention while broad and sustainable interventions will be worked on for the two industries.
“The Ministry will be targeting the following in the disbursement of the funds: Sports: Athletes, National Sports Associations, Community Sport and Recreation Clubs and Academies.
“Arts: Registered Arts Associations/Organisations/Groups and Production Houses (Theatre, Dance, Film, Music Studios), Individual artists demonstrating the effect of COVID-19 on their practice, Registered Arts Centres/Spaces/Hubs or Galleries and Arts and Culture Education Institutions, Projects and Programmes (Provincial and National levels with discernible impact on CCIs’ development).
The beneficiaries to this fund for Sports will have to provide the following: Registration of member Association under-the Sports and Recreation Commission Act and the Boxing and Wrestling Control Board Act, Compliance to Governing Acts and statutes of Sport and Recreation in the Country and Proof of effects of COVID-19 on your calendar.
The beneficiaries of this fund in the Cultural and Creative Industries are expected to provide the following: Practising artists who are able to demonstrate continuous practice for the past 2 years, Cultural and Creative industry practitioners living and working in Zimbabwe for the past 2 years, Applicants must demonstrate the experiencing of dire financial emergencies due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Institutions and projects with an impact at National or provincial level will be prioritised and Applicants must not be employees, Board members, or immediate family members of the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, National Arts Council of Zimbabwe or the National Gallery of Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation recently came face to face with the state of neglect of sports stadiums around the country with Honourable Mathias Tongofa and his team touring various sporting facilities in the country, expressing disappointment at the lack of will to direct resources towards sporting facilities by the city fathers.
