ANOCA Zone 6 President Alfred Foloko signed the agreement with the Africa Zone VI Regional Anti Doping Organisation ©NOCZ

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) Zone 6 and Africa Zone VI Regional Anti-Doping Organisation (RADO) has been hailed as "a monumental achievement and milestone in the development of elite or high-performance sport in Southern Africa".

The agreement was formally signed by ANOCA Zone VI President Alfred Foloko, who is also Zambia’s National Olympic Committee (NOCZ) President, and RADO regional chairman Dr. Nicholas Munyonga from Zimbabwe.

"It will also usher in structured programmes that will be implemented by the Olympic and Clean Sport Movements of the region," a statement issued by ANOCA secretary general Joan Smit and RADO regional manager Andrew Kamanga said.

Zambia is among other members of Southern Africa part of the two organisations ©Getty Images
Zambia is among other members of Southern Africa part of the two organisations ©Getty Images

Work on the MoU had begun in 2021 and discussions were described as "months of negotiation and exchanging of information".

Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are responsible for administering the programmes within their countries.

Under the terms of the agreement, information will also be shared about "investigations of crimes relating to the health and welfare of athletes".

It will also support  scientific and social sciences research projects by individuals and institutions in the region.