Zimbabwe hosts the 2025 Regional Annual Sports Awards (RASA), a flagship event of the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5, on 24 May 2025 at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) in Harare, Zimbabwe.
The Zimbabwe Minister of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Honourable Lieutenant General (Rtd) Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe, announced during a press briefing in Harare.
Hon. Sanyatwe revealed that the Guest of Honour for the event, held under the auspices of the AUSC Region 5, would befittingly be His Excellency, President Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, who is also SADC Chairperson.
“RASA is more than just an awards show. It is a celebration of the spirit of unity, perseverance, and excellence that sport brings to our communities,” said Hon. Sanyatwe. “Zimbabwe is honoured to host such a prestigious regional event, and we are fully prepared to deliver a world-class ceremony., he said.
The Regional Annual Sports Awards, launched in 2016, recognise and honour top-performing athletes, coaches, administrators, volunteers, and journalists from ten Region 5 Member Countries: Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Hon. Sanyatwe noted that the event will present Zimbabwe with a significant opportunity to showcase its capacity to host regional events, enhance its international sports profile, and stimulate economic activity across key sectors.
“The hosting of RASA 2025 will boost our local economy, particularly in tourism, hospitality, creative industries, and transport. It will also be a platform for local sports stakeholders to network and forge partnerships with their counterparts from across Southern Africa,” he said.
He added that a National Steering Committee had already been established to work closely with the AUSC Region 5 Secretariat to oversee logistics, technical standards, hospitality, and security.
In his remarks, the Minister emphasised RASA’s role in advancing the African Union blueprint, Agenda 2063, highlighting the power of sport to promote inclusivity, gender equality, and youth development.
Region 5 has gained recognition as a development hub for elite athletes through effective delivery of its programmes and activities that include the RASA, Marathon and the ever-growing Region 5 Youth Games. Some of the Region 5 Youth Games alumni include Zambian Collins Mbesuma who was part of the 2004 edition and countryman Patson Daka, now with Leicester City in England as well as Botswana’s first Olympic medallist, Nijel Amos. These athletes became powerful Region 5 ambassadors, and more stars are expected to emerge through the AUSC Region 5 platform.
Honourable Sanyatwe highlighted that Zimbabwe has prominently featured on the RASA with Dr Kirsty Coventry, now President of the International Olympic Committee having won the inaugural Sportswoman of the year award in 2016 and 2017 and Farai Machamire winning the Journalist of the year award in 2016. In 2018, Tanyaradzwa Muzinda won the Junior Sportswoman of the year award with Elford Moyo winning theSportsman of the year with a disability. Thereafter, Wilfred Mashaya (Sportsman of the year), Gilbert Nyamutsamba (Coach of the year) and Tinashe Tirivavi (Journalist of the year) all won awards in the 2019 RASA. Zimbabwe remains hopeful to win accolades again in the 2025 edition of the RASA on home soil.
The 7th edition of the awards will honour excellence in categories including Sportsperson of the Year, Team of the Year, Coach of the Year, Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year with a Disability, and Sports Journalist of the Year, among others, under the theme, “Celebrating Excellence, Inspiring Innovation!”.
To complement the awards ceremony, Zimbabwe has lined up a rich cultural showcase featuring local music and dance, giving delegates and guests a rich experience of the country’s rich cultural heritage.
Minister Sanyatwe called on Zimbabweans to rally behind the initiative. “This is an opportunity for us to show the world that Zimbabwe can lead from the front in regional sport, unity, and cultural celebration,” he concluded.
