Givemore Makoni has been appointed as Managing Director on an immediate basis by the Zimbabwe Cricket on December 18. The 45-year-old has been Zimbabwe Cricket’s Acting Managing Director since September 2018 before he was suspended by the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) in June last year.
Makoni has a Bachelor of Science Honours in Sports Science and Management degree qualification. He has been involved in cricket for over three decades as he first rose to national prominence in 1990 by co-founding Takashinga Cricket Club.
Apart from management experience, Makoni has played club cricket in Zimbabwe and England. He also has administrative experience in franchise cricket before he got promoted to Zimbabwe Cricket. Makoni was Chief Executive Officer at Southern Rocks and Mountaineers franchises. He has also served as the Zimbabwe national team manager and convener of selectors, over the years.
In 2019, the Sports and Recreation Commission suspended Makoni alongside the entire Tavengwa Mukuhlani board. Although the reasons for the suspension were unclear, but one of the primary reasons was the inability to resolve the issue of clearing the $27 Million debt that was already webbing the board.
After the 2018 board suspension controversy, the SRC appointed David Ellman-Brown, Ahmed Ibrahim, Charlie Robertson, Cyprian Mandenge, Robertson Chinyengetere, Sekesai Nhokwara, and Duncan Frost to overlook all the cricketing affairs in the country.
Zimbabwe Cricket association released a statement saying, “Makoni has however successfully spearheaded a restructuring exercise designed to address ZC’s perennial viability challenges and to forge a sustainable financial and cricket future. Under his watch, ZC has been vigorously reviving its cricket structures, with the launch of elite national club competition, the National Premier League, as well as two women’s inter-provincial tournaments, the Fifty50 Challenge, and the Women’s T20 Cup, being among the highlights.”