BY THEMBA ZWANE
MBABANE– Eswatini and Zimbabwe have pledged to deepen cooperation between their respective Parliamentary committees responsible for sport, youth and cultural affairs following a benchmarking visit by an Eswatini delegation to Zimbabwe.
The commitment was made during engagements between members of the Eswatini Parliament’s Portfolio Committee for Sport, Culture and Youth Affairs and Zimbabwe’s Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture.
Zimbabwe’s Parliamentary Portfolio Committee chairperson, Farai Jere, described the visit as a historic milestone that had opened a new chapter in cooperation between the two countries.
“This is a historic visit that opens a new chapter in cooperation between the Parliaments of Zimbabwe and the Kingdom of Eswatini. Through this engagement, we are strengthening our partnership in sport, youth development and football governance while learning from each other’s experiences for the benefit of our nations,” said Jere.
He said the exchange demonstrated the growing role of parliamentary diplomacy in advancing sport and would assist both countries in sharing knowledge and strengthening their sporting institutions.
The Eswatini delegation was led by Hon. Nathi Nsizwa Hlophe, head of Parliament Portfolio Committee for Sport, Culture and Youth Affairs, who said the Kingdom was keen to learn from Zimbabwe’s success in football administration and player development.
“We noticed that a lot of our players are going to Zimbabwe, so Zimbabwe could be doing something very well in attracting our players,” Hlophe said.
He added that the two countries had previously seen Zimbabwean coaches and players coming to Eswatini, but the trend was changing, prompting the Kingdom to seek lessons from Zimbabwe’s football structures.
“Previously, we were getting coaches and players from Zimbabwe, but now things are changing, so we wanted to follow the lead and understand what Zimbabwe is doing well,” he said.
During the visit, the Eswatini delegation held discussions with Zimbabwean parliamentarians on football governance and the role of Parliament in developing sport.
Hlophe noted that Zimbabwe’s Parliament had taken significant steps in recent years to address challenges affecting football administration, an approach Eswatini hopes to emulate as it seeks to improve the game locally.
“You will recall that a couple of years ago, Zimbabwe’s Parliament took the initiative of correcting the wrongs in football. We have taken that route as the Kingdom of Eswatini because we want to see how we can improve the game,” he said.
The delegation also attended a Castle Lager Premier League match between Ngezi Platinum Stars and Herentals at Baobab Stadium to gain first-hand insight into Zimbabwe’s football structures and administration.
“As a football person, I could see the quality, the recruitment and the structures that are in place. The application was impressive,” Hlophe said.
He expressed appreciation for the hospitality extended by Zimbabwe’s Parliament and revealed that Zimbabwean parliamentarians are expected to visit Eswatini next month as part of efforts to strengthen institutional cooperation.
“We are so grateful to the Zimbabweans for the hospitality that we got. We are expecting the Parliament team to visit the Kingdom of Eswatini, probably next month. We are looking forward to that. We have established relations that are not going to end anytime soon,” he said.
The visit is expected to pave the way for long-term collaboration between the two parliamentary committees in sport, youth development and football governance.
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(Courtesy Pic)
