By Lisca Philo
The African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region Five meetings running from 5-15 November 2024 in Harare are bringing together key stakeholders from across Southern Africa to deliberate and make resolutions on pertinent sports development issues.
Chief Executive Officer Stanley Mutoya shared details of the activities and the anticipated attendees for these critical regional meetings at a press briefing in Harare on Tuesday.
He said representatives from all member countries are expected to join discussions on implementing action plans for women in sports and people with disabilities at the national level. Countries will also present their progress reports.
“We are welcoming members of our Women in Sport and Sport for People with Disabilities Committee, who will convene tomorrow (6 November),” he said.
After the initial discussions, the Physical Education, Sport and Recreation Development Commission and the Human Resources Education and Training Commission will meet to address issues related to education and training in the region.
On November 8, the High-Performance Commission will convene with the Budget, Finance, Risk, and Legal Commission to review regional performance in various competitions, such as the African Cup of Nations and the African Games, and to discuss upcoming events like the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Marketing and Business Development Commission and the Governance Commission will meet on November 9.
Mr. Mutoya highlighted the significance of governance, referring to a 2019 ministerial decision aimed at establishing minimum educational qualifications for national federation members.
“The goal is to ensure transparency and compliance within our federations, helping the industry become more productive,” he added.
Recommendations from these meetings will be presented to the Committee of Experts on November 11, with the Board of Advisors scheduled to meet on November 13 and 14 to finalize decisions.
The event will conclude with the groundbreaking ceremony for the Museum and a Cultural Night Festival on November 15.
The AUSC Region 5, one of five African Union regions, comprises eight countries from Southern Africa and is tasked with promoting sports development across the continent. This organization was established following the dissolution of the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa (SCSA) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on July 26, 2013, previously known as SCSA Zone VI.