Tavengwa Mukuhlani
Tavengwa Mukuhlani is a Zimbabwean sports administrator who is the Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) chairman and also dabbles as a politician.
Background
Mukuhlani, an Indian-trained pharmacist, is currently based in Bulawayo, where he is in full practice in the healthcare industry.
Career
Mukuhlani is the Zimbabwe Cricket chairman. Mukuhlani became a ZC board member for the first time in 2003 and later rose to become vice-chairman of the association under the late Peter Chingoka when the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) dissolved the old inclusive board which had retired Supreme Court judge Ahmed Ebrahim as Chingoka’s deputy.
He had initially been drafted onto the ZC board by virtue of being chairman of the Mashonaland Cricket Association – the provincial body he assumed control of in 2003 without known track-record in the game. Mukuhlani would later leave ZC, only to reappear in 2015. He challenged and defeated interim chairman Wilson Manase – who had appeared headed uncontested for a substantive term.[1]
Politics
He was short-listed by the ruling Zanu PF to contest the 2018 party’s primary elections for the Mhondoro-Ngezi constituency. The nomination list that was released by the party in 2018 revealed that Mukuhlani battled it out in Mhondoro-Ngezi with Lindiwe Chitombo, Thompson Nhidza, Jacob Nhidza, Taurai Mabika, Edward Chimedza and Norbert Kazembe to represent Zanu PF for the Member of Parliament position in Mhondoro-Ngezi in the general elections by July 2018.
Under the Spotlight
He has come under the spotlight following Zimbabwe’s failure to qualify for the 2019 World Cup, with a wide array of cricket personalities putting blame on his administration for the great World Cup disappointment, and many more plights plaguing the game. The ZC chairman, in his defence, has shifted the World Cup blame on sacked coach Heath Streak, but his utterances against the former national team captain have been met with spirited backlash from far and wide.
Suspension by the Sports and Recreation Commission
High Court justice Musakwa has dismissed with costs an urgent chamber application by the suspended Tavengwa Mukuhlani led Zimbabwe Cricket board which sought to overturn the decision of the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC). The suspended board sought reprieve at the higher court following their suspension for going against a directive to put on ice their elective Annual General Meeting pending investigations of alleged corruption fraud, misuse of money, which also includes money received from the International Cricket Council.[2]
