The African Union Sports Council (AUSC), Region 5 in collaboration with The Association For International Sport for All (TAFISA) this week commences an online Certified Leadership Course (CLC) in Sport for All.  This is the first time that Region 5 is conducting an online course as part of the organisation’s response to the devastating effects of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.  The course, starting on Wednesday 15 July, is scheduled to run up to 11 September 2020. 

A total of thirty participants drawn from eight of the ten Region 5 Member Countries have been enrolled in the course.  Only Angola and Mozambique are the countries with no representation in this course.  There was an overwhelming response to the call for applications with interest drawn from countries beyond the borders of Region 5 Member Countries.  Priority was however reserved for Region 5 Member Countries. 

Speaking on the upcoming course, the Region 5 Chief Executive Officer Stanley Mutoya said, “We are excited about this new initiative which confirms our thrust as an organisation that of being a leading home of innovation and excellence”. 

The CLC is a TAFISA course which aims to strengthen skills and competences in planning and organising physical activity and sport for all within communities.  The course seeks to strengthen promotion of healthy lifestyles among people in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 3, that of good health and well-being. 

The course will be delivered by a strong and vibrant team of competent and experienced facilitators carefully drawn from the Region 5 team of experts.  Among them are Professor Cora Burnett from the University of Johannesburg, Professor Anneliese Goslin of the University of Pretoria who is also an executive board member of the International Council of Sports Science and Physical Education.  In addition, the team includes an expert from TAFISA, Steady Basupang and Malebo Raditladi and Tapuwa Masunga (Botswana), Moleboheng Mokobocho (Lesotho), Joseph Muchechetere (Zimbabwe), Ivy Chinagwa (Malawi), Sombwa Musunza (Zambia), Andrew Kamanga (Regional Anti-Doping Organisation Manager) together with Petros Mrape and Tsholofelo Maduma (Region 5 Office). 

Participants will be taken through various topics that include sport for all and physical activity, event management, marketing and public relations, leadership, safe sport, community club formation, inclusive sport, managing finances, communication and clean sport for all among others.  Participants that successfully complete the course will be awarded an internationally recognised certificate.  They will further be expected to plan and executive a sport for all event of their choice as part of the course assessment requirements. 

As part of its response to the COVID-19 induced challenges, Region 5 made a conscious decision to exempt candidates for this course from paying course fees.  “As an organisation, it was imperative that we do everything possible to support our Member Countries during these trying times.  One way to extend such support was to offer the course for this intake free of charge so that we create a critical mass of knowledgeable cadres who can dedicate themselves towards harnessing sport for all within their respective communities” Mutoya said.  He further commended TAFISA for being a partner of choice dedicated to supporting Region 5 Member Countries in advancing sport for all initiatives. The course will be delivered over eight weeks.  Participants will be attending two hour sessions twice a week for the next eight weeks up to 11 September 2020.  This is the first time that the course is being offered via online platforms.  Region 5 and TAFISA continue to collaborate on various other programmes.  As part of this collaboration, an African webinar on the impact of COVID-19 on sport for all has been scheduled to be jointly hosted by Region 5 and TAFISA on 31 July 2020