ANOCA and AFRICA ZONE VI RADO SIGN MoU TO PROMOTE CLEAN SPORT

By Noah Silomba

The Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) Zone 6 and the Africa Zone VI Regional Anti-Doping Organisation (RADO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in their efforts to promote Olympic values and clean sport amongst Athletes and Athletes Personnel (ASP) in the member countries.

Zambia is among other members of Southern Africa part of the two organisations.

In a joint statement issued on 12 April, 2022 by ANOCA Zone 6 Secretary-General Joan Smit and Africa Zone VI RADO Regional Manager Andrew B Kamanga the MoU intends to ensure key issues such as the development and implementation of a regional program that facilitates the collaboration ANOCA Zone 6, the Africa Zone VI RADO and sports organisations in member countries in combating doping in Sport.

Furthermore, the MoU will focus on other issues not limited to collaborating on initiatives for sharing of information on investigations on crimes relating to the health and welfare of athletes and also the facilitation and support for scientific and social sciences research projects undertaken by individuals and institutions in the region.

"The finalization of this MoU after months of negotiation and exchanging of information which started in 2021 is indeed a monumental achievement and milestone in the development of elite or high-performance sport in Southern Africa."

The MoU was signed by the President of ANOCA Zone 6, Alfred Foloko who is also President of the National Olympic Committee of Zambia (NOCZ), and the Chairman of the Africa Zone VI RADO, Dr. Nicholas Munyonga of Zimbabwe. It will usher in structured programs that will be implemented by the Olympic and Clean Sport Movements of the region" part of the statement read.

The member countries of the two organisations whose members are the Southern African countries of Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe will be individually and collectively responsible for the implementation of programs that leverage on the synergies out of the collaboration of the two regional organisations.