Zimbabwe Cricket Safeguarding Policy

Introduction

Cricket in Zimbabwe is more than a sport — it is a community, a family, and a pathway of hope for thousands of children, young people, women, and vulnerable adults. Every training session, every match, and every journey to the field carries the potential to shape lives, build confidence, and open doors. With this privilege comes a profound responsibility: to ensure that every person who steps into the world of cricket feels safe, respected, and protected.

This Safeguarding Strategy Proposal is built on that responsibility. It reflects Zimbabwe Cricket’s commitment to creating environments where children can learn without fear, where young athletes can grow without exploitation, and where women and vulnerable participants can thrive with dignity. It recognises that safeguarding is not just a policy — it is a culture, a daily practice, and a shared duty across coaches, managers, officials, volunteers, parents, and the Board.

The document brings together the voices, values, and legal obligations that shape safe cricket. It aligns Zimbabwean law, ICC safeguarding standards, and the Spirit of Cricket to form a unified framework that protects the most vulnerable. It provides practical tools, clear reporting pathways, training modules, and governance structures that empower every member of the cricket community to act when something feels wrong and to champion what is right.

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and together, we protect the game and the people who love it.

Managing Director's Vision

This Safeguarding Strategy is Zimbabwe Cricket’s comprehensive framework for protecting children, young people, women, and vulnerable adults across all cricket environments. Developed in partnership with 21Solutions Inc., it integrates national legislation, ICC Safeguarding Regulations, and SRC governance requirements into a unified safeguarding system for Zimbabwe Cricket.

The strategy sets out the Board’s governance responsibilities, accountability mechanisms, and reporting structures, alongside clear policies, codes of conduct, safe recruitment standards, and mandatory training requirements for all personnel. Operational tools — including reporting procedures, risk assessments, monitoring and evaluation indicators, and case-management guidance — support consistent implementation across clubs, academies, provincial structures, and national teams.

As Zimbabwe Cricket positions itself for future Olympic participation, this strategy aligns safeguarding systems with international expectations for Olympic sports, upholding the principles of safety, dignity, inclusion, and integrity demanded by the Olympic Movement.

Safeguarding is positioned as a core organisational priority — to prevent harm, strengthen early reporting, ensure survivor-centred responses, and embed a culture of safety aligned with the Spirit of Cricket.

Policy Introduction & Board Adoption

Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) is committed to providing a safe, respectful, and inclusive cricket environment for all participants. ZC recognises its fundamental duty of care to safeguard children, young people, women, and vulnerable adults from all forms of abuse, harm, exploitation, and discrimination — across every level of cricket, from grassroots programmes and school cricket to provincial structures, academies, high-performance pathways, and national teams.

This safeguarding approach is grounded in national legislation, ICC Safeguarding Regulations, SRC governance requirements, and international best practice. Safeguarding is a core organisational priority that shapes how Zimbabwe Cricket leads, manages, trains, recruits, and delivers cricket nationally.

All personnel — executives, coaches, managers, officials, volunteers, contractors, and affiliated organisations — are expected to comply fully with this policy and to contribute actively to maintaining safe cricket environments.

Policy Alignment Framework

This policy aligns with the following international, national, and organisational safeguarding standards.

ICC Safeguarding Framework

Zimbabwe Cricket adopts and aligns its safeguarding approach with the International Cricket Council (ICC) Safeguarding Framework, the global standard for protecting children, young people, women, and vulnerable adults in cricket. Although ICC Safeguarding Regulations apply specifically to ICC Events, ZC integrates these principles into all domestic, provincial, academy, grassroots, and high-performance environments.

Olympic Safeguarding Alignment

As part of its strategic vision for future Olympic participation, ZC aligns its safeguarding systems with the Olympic Movement’s athlete-protection standards, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Safeguarding Framework, so that athletes, coaches, and support staff are prepared to operate within global safeguarding protocols.

Zimbabwean Laws and Regulations

Zimbabwe Cricket is legally and ethically obligated to align its safeguarding systems with the national child-protection and criminal-protection framework, including:

• Children’s Act [Chapter 5:06], as amended by the Children’s Amendment Act No. 8 of 2023 — Zimbabwe’s primary child-protection legislation, strengthened in 2023 to align with international child-rights standards, introduce stronger criminal sanctions, and reinforce the obligation to prevent all forms of violence against children, including corporal punishment.
• Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23], as amended by the Criminal Laws Amendment (Protection of Children and Young Persons) Act, 2024 — updates the definition of a child to any person under 18, criminalises sexual intercourse or indecent acts with children aged 12–18 (penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment), removes “consent” as a defence involving minors, and strengthens offences related to grooming, solicitation, and exploitation.
• Domestic Violence Act [Chapter 5:16] — protects children and adults from physical, emotional, sexual, and economic abuse, intimidation, harassment, stalking, and exposure of children to domestic violence.
• Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013) — guarantees the right of every child to be protected from abuse, neglect, and exploitation, the right to education, health, and development, and the obligation of all institutions to act in the child’s best interests.
• Education Act — reinforces child protection in school settings, including safe learning environments, prohibition of corporal punishment, and mandatory reporting of abuse by educators.

ZC applies whichever standard — Zimbabwean law or ICC Regulations — offers greater protection to children and vulnerable persons, and aligns its systems with SRC governance standards and the Spirit of Cricket.

Purpose of the Policy

This Safeguarding Policy establishes Zimbabwe Cricket’s commitment to protecting all participants and ensuring safeguarding is embedded across every level of the organisation. It aims to:

1. Protect children, young people, women, and vulnerable adults involved in cricket by ensuring all cricket environments are safe, supervised, and free from abuse, harm, exploitation, and discrimination.
2. Provide clear standards of behaviour for coaches, staff, volunteers, and officials through codes of conduct and mandatory safeguarding responsibilities.
3. Establish safe recruitment, training, and reporting procedures, including vetting, background checks, training, incident reporting pathways, case management, and survivor-centred responses.
4. Ensure compliance with ICC Safeguarding Regulations, Olympic safeguarding standards, and Zimbabwean law, applying whichever standard provides the highest level of protection.
5. Embed safeguarding into the culture and governance of Zimbabwe Cricket, supported by strong leadership, accountability, monitoring, and continuous improvement.

Scope

This policy applies to all Zimbabwe Cricket employees, coaches (paid and volunteer), match officials, team managers and support staff, players at all levels (grassroots, academy, provincial, high-performance, national teams), volunteers, contractors and service providers, visitors and spectators at ZC-sanctioned events, and any individual participating in or interacting with ZC programmes, activities, or environments.

It covers all cricket-related activities, including training sessions and coaching, matches and tournaments, domestic and international travel and accommodation, digital and online communication (including social media, messaging platforms, and remote coaching), community outreach, school-based cricket, high-performance and academy environments, and any ZC-affiliated event, programme, or engagement.

Legal & Regulatory Framework

Zimbabwe Cricket aligns its safeguarding systems with international, national, and sector-specific regulations, including the ICC Safeguarding Framework, IOC/Olympic Movement safeguarding standards, the Children’s Act, the Domestic Violence Act, the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the National Gender Policy (2017), and Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) Regulations.

These standards are mutually reinforcing, together defining criminal offences and mandatory protections, prohibited conduct and reporting duties, organisational responsibilities and accountability, and athlete-welfare expectations at national and international level. ZC applies whichever requirement offers the greatest protection, and adopts a zero-tolerance approach to abuse, harassment, exploitation, and misconduct.

Prevention, Reporting & Response

Zimbabwe Cricket aligns with the three pillars of the ICC Safeguarding Framework.

Prevention

Safe recruitment (vetting, background checks, verification of qualifications), mandatory safeguarding training for all personnel, codes of conduct defining acceptable and unacceptable behaviour, and risk assessments across venues, travel, accommodation, digital communication, and events.

Reporting

Clear reporting pathways for concerns, disclosures, or suspicions of harm; multiple reporting channels including in-person, digital platforms, designated safeguarding officers, and anonymous options; and protection for Integrity Champions from retaliation, discrimination, or negative consequences.

Response

A survivor-centred approach; timely and proportionate investigations in line with ICC expectations and national legislation; cooperation with police, social services, and statutory authorities; and consistent, fair sanctions and disciplinary action, including suspension, removal from role, or referral to law enforcement.

Definitions

Child

Anyone under the age of 18, aligned with Zimbabwean legislation, ICC Safeguarding Regulations, and global child-protection standards.

Vulnerable Adult

Any person aged 18 or above who may be at increased risk of harm due to disability, illness, gender, age, social circumstances, or any factor reducing their ability to protect themselves.

Abuse

Any action, behaviour, or omission that causes harm, threatens safety, or violates dignity — including physical, emotional or psychological abuse, sexual abuse or exploitation, neglect, grooming, bullying (including cyberbullying), harassment, and discriminatory or harmful behaviour.

Safeguarding

The actions, systems, and measures taken to protect individuals from harm and promote their welfare — prevention, early identification of risks, reporting concerns, responding to incidents, and creating environments where all participants feel safe, respected, and supported.

Roles & Responsibilities

Zimbabwe Cricket Board

Holds ultimate accountability. Approves, adopts, and oversees this policy; ensures compliance with ICC, Olympic, and Zimbabwean standards; provides strategic leadership and resourcing.

Safeguarding Officer

Leads safeguarding implementation across all environments; receives, manages, and documents reports confidentially; liaises with police, social services, ICC safeguarding personnel, and relevant authorities; maintains secure, auditable incident records.

Coaches and Support Staff

Maintain professional boundaries and model safe, respectful behaviour; complete mandatory safeguarding training; report concerns immediately to the Safeguarding Officer or designated personnel.

Players

Follow ZC’s codes of conduct; report concerns about themselves or others.

Parents and Guardians

Support safe participation by reinforcing safeguarding expectations; communicate concerns through ZC’s reporting pathways.

Safe Recruitment

Zimbabwe Cricket implements a rigorous safe-recruitment process for all employees, coaches, volunteers, contractors, and support staff, including comprehensive background checks (including criminal record screening), verification of qualifications, reference checks with previous employers or organisations, and signed acceptance of ZC’s Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct.

This commitment applies across all levels of cricket — grassroots, academies, provincial structures, high-performance programmes, national teams, and Olympic-aligned pathways.

Safeguarding Principles

• Safety First

  The safety and wellbeing of children, young people, women, and vulnerable adults is prioritised above all other considerations.

• Zero Tolerance for Abuse

  Any behaviour that threatens safety or dignity is addressed immediately, transparently, and in line with legal and regulatory requirements.

• Child-Centred, Survivor-Centred Practice

  Children and survivors are listened to, respected, and supported; their voices guide decision-making.

• Shared Responsibility

  Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility — no individual or group is exempt.

• Prevention Through Strong Systems

  Safe recruitment, mandatory training, codes of conduct, risk assessments, and continuous monitoring.

• Transparency and Accountability

  Clear reporting pathways, consistent procedures, and robust oversight.

• Inclusivity and Non-Discrimination

  Environments where all participants feel safe, respected, and valued, regardless of gender, age, ability, background, or identity.

• Continuous Improvement

  Policies, learning from incidents, and systems are reviewed and strengthened regularly.

Reporting Procedures

Reporting is mandatory for all personnel. Anyone who witnesses, suspects, or receives information about abuse, misconduct, or safeguarding risks must report the concern immediately.

1. Report to the Safeguarding Officer

   The central point of contact for receiving, documenting, and managing safeguarding cases — conducts initial triage, ensures immediate safety measures, records the incident, and determines whether escalation is required.

2. Provincial-level reporting

   Coaches, managers, or officials may also report to their Provincial Chairman, who must notify the Safeguarding Officer immediately and support local risk management.

3. Escalation to executive leadership

   Serious harm, criminal behaviour, or organisational risk is escalated to the Managing Director, who authorises major safeguarding actions and oversees compliance and disciplinary processes.

4. Reporting to external authorities

   Criminal offences, imminent risk, or statutory obligations are reported immediately to the Zimbabwe Republic Police, Department of Social Welfare, Child Protection Services, the ICC Safeguarding Unit, Olympic safeguarding authorities, and other relevant bodies.

Multiple reporting channels

In-person reporting to the Safeguarding Officer; reporting through coaches, managers, or Provincial Chairmen; confidential email or digital reporting platforms; anonymous reporting options where appropriate; and emergency reporting directly to police or social services.

Protection for Integrity Champions

Zimbabwe Cricket guarantees protection for anyone who reports a safeguarding concern in good faith, from retaliation, discrimination, loss of role or opportunity, or intimidation and harassment.

Documentation and record-keeping

The Safeguarding Officer maintains secure, confidential records of incident reports, investigation notes, actions taken, and outcomes, stored in accordance with legal requirements and ICC and Olympic safeguarding standards.

Conclusion

Zimbabwe Cricket’s Safeguarding Policy is more than a compliance document — it is a declaration of the organisation’s commitment to protecting every child, young person, woman, and vulnerable adult who engages with the game. It establishes a clear, accountable, and survivor-centred framework aligned with Zimbabwean law, ICC Safeguarding Regulations, Olympic safeguarding standards, and SRC governance requirements.

Zimbabwe Cricket stands united in its promise: to provide safe, respectful, inclusive, and empowering environments where every participant can thrive, develop, and enjoy the game with confidence and pride.

This page reflects the Zimbabwe Cricket Safeguarding Policy as adopted by the Board. In case of any discrepancy, the downloadable official PDF above is authoritative. Report a concern confidentially or anonymously at any time.