Zimbabwe facing sporting isolation

By Tichaona Sibanda
14 May 2007

Australian Prime Minister John Howard on Sunday banned the country’s cricket team from touring Zimbabwe in September, describing the ban as a ‘device and method of sending a very strong signal of disapproval about Mugabe’s regime.’

Observers believe this could be the start of international sporting isolation for the country. Sports analyst Natty Zvimba said other western countries not happy with Robert Mugabe’s gross human rights abuses might take a similar stance and ban their sporting teams or individuals from competing in the country.

He said those likely to face international isolation are sports like tennis, golf, swimming and athletics. Football would not be affected because it is mainly played locally and regionally.

For twenty years apartheid South Africa was under a sporting isolation that helped to bring the country to its knees. Zvimba said because of continuing world coverage of abuses in Zimbabwe it was becoming increasingly impossible for the international community to separate sport and politics.

‘Australia has taken the lead and this is not the end of this. If Zimbabwe is paired to play a David cup tennis tie with a European country in Harare this would almost be non-starter,’ another analyst said.

In banning the tour to Zimbabwe, Prime Minister Howard had argued that Mugabe would use it as a propaganda weapon. Howard added that Mugabe’s desperate efforts to hang onto power had scuttled democracy and ruined the country’s once thriving economy.

Meanwhile Cricket Australia will be spared any financial punishment by the International Cricket Council. The Australian cricket body appeared to be facing a US$2 million fine if they cancelled the tour.

ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said fines could be waived if a team is banned from a tour by its own government. There was concern from the Australian government that the fine money paid to Zimbabwe cricket would have found its way to the regime’s coffers.