Stephen Mudawarima has left his role as chief executive of the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee ©ZOC

Stephen Mudawarima has left his position as chief executive of the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee (ZOC) after two-years in the role, it has been revealed.

The news was announced to stakeholders by ZOC President Thabani Gonye in a statement.

"This letter serves to advise all the members, stakeholders and partners of ZOC on the departure of Stephen Mudawarima from his role of ZOC chief executive secretary-general, effective Monday February 6, 2023," Gonye wrote.

"We wish Mr Mudawarima all the best in his endeavours as he takes this step into the next stage of his life."

Stephen Mudawarima helped prepare Zimbabwe's team for the Olympics in Tokyo after they were postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic ©Getty Images
Stephen Mudawarima helped prepare Zimbabwe's team for the Olympics in Tokyo after they were postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic ©Getty Images

Mudawarima first joined the ZOC in 2017 after being elected as non-executive Board member.

He later became chief executive in January 2021, joining from Delta Beverages to take over from Anna Mguni, who had stepped down the previous month after nine-years in the position.

Mudawarima took on the challenge of preparing Zimbabwe’s team to compete in the re-arranged 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo after they were postponed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus badly affected qualification for Zimbabwean athletes and their team was the smallest since the country made its Olympic debut as Rhodesia at Amsterdam 1928.

Zimbabwe sent a team of five athletes to the Japanese capital, one each in athletics, golf and rowing and two in swimming.

They failed to win a medal for the third consecutive Olympics with the best performance coming from Scott Vincent, who finished equal 16th in the men’s golf.  

Scott Vincent was Zimbabwe's best performer at Tokyo 2020 when he came equal 16th in the men's golf ©Getty Images
Scott Vincent was Zimbabwe's best performer at Tokyo 2020 when he came equal 16th in the men's golf ©Getty Images

ZOC’s head of finance Memory Pakati has been appointed acting chief executive until a full-time replacement for Mudawarima is recruited.

Mudawarima, a graduate of the University of Zimbabwe, is closely involved in the anti-doping movement.

He sits on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Education Technical Working Group-Global Learning Development Framework.

A certified doping control officer, Mudawarima has worked at several major events, including the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.