The
move
follows
Coventry’s
election
as
the
10th
President
of
the
International
Olympic
Committee
(IOC)
last
week.
The
41-year-old
former
Olympian
secured
the
role
in
a
secret
vote
among
seven
candidates
during
the
144th
IOC
Session
in
Costa
Navarino,
Greece,
on
March
20.
She
is
set
to
serve
an
eight-year
term
in
this
prestigious
position.
Upon
her
return
from
Greece
on
Sunday,
Coventry
indicated
that
she
wouldn’t
immediately
step
down
from
her
ministerial
role,
saying
she
would
complete
a
proper
handover
with
her
successor
in
the
coming
weeks
before
formally
assuming
her
IOC
duties
on
June
23.
However,
on
Tuesday,
Martin
Rushwaya,
the
Chief
Secretary
to
the
President
and
Cabinet,
announced
in
a
statement
that
Coventry
had
been
relieved
of
her
Cabinet
position.
Said
Rushwaya:
Acting
in
terms
of
section
108
(1)
(a)
of
the
Constitution
of
Zimbabwe,
His
Excellency
President
Dr
E.D
Mnangagwa
has
relieved
Honourable
Kirsty
Coventry
from
her
position
as
Minister
of
Sport,
Recreation,
Arts
and
Culture
following
her
well-deserved
election
as
the
President
of
the
International
Olympic
Committee.
Coventry
will
officially
take
office
on
Olympic
Day,
June
23,
after
the
handover
from
President
Bach.
Bach
will
remain
in
his
role
until
then,
but
will
resign
as
an
IOC
Member
following
the
transfer
of
power
and
will
take
on
the
title
of
Honorary
President.
Coventry’s
first
major
event
will
be
overseeing
the
Olympic
Winter
Games
Milano
Cortina
2026,
with
less
than
11
months
until
the
Opening
Ceremony.