Zimpapers Logo

Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Andrew Langa (second from left) addresses a press conference yesterday flanked by Local Organising Committee chief executive officer Elkanah Dube (left), chairperson Khonzani Ncube and her deputy Nyararayi Sibanda (right)

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
THE government has assured all service providers, suppliers and support staff who were engaged for last month’s African Union Sports Council Region 5 Under-20 Youth Games that they will all be paid.

Outgoing chairman of the Region 5 Council of Ministers and Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Andrew Langa made the announcement during a press conference at a Bulawayo hotel yesterday.

Minister Langa said a meeting has since been arranged for next week between his ministry and treasury with the release of the money to meet the outstanding arrears the main agenda.

“We will ensure that all those who were engaged in the provision of services and goods as well as support staff engaged by the local organising committee receive their dues, let me be clear on that one,” he said.

“I will not give a timeline at the moment but I have no reason to lie to the media and the nation at large, after the meeting next week that is when I could be in a position to give a timeline.”

His assurance, especially on the support staff, comes as a relief to them after the local organising committee last week had announced that they had no contractual obligation to pay people as they were seconded from respective government departments.

The local organising committee is believed to be owing various service providers more than half a million dollars, including about $5,000 owed to a local supplier for Galaxy S5 cellphones that each board member received.

Asked about the various equipment that was used during the Games, Minister Langa who, besides being the regional chairperson, took personal supervision of the preparations on a day-to-day basis, said a comprehensive asset disposal report will soon be released after both the internal and external auditors have finalised their reports.

He emphasised that the equipment must and will remain in Bulawayo as part of the legacy of the Games as promised by President Mugabe.

“If ever there is any equipment that has to leave Bulawayo, that authority has to come from my ministry and myself in particular. At the moment, everything that was used is locked up at the ZITF, nothing has left the city and nothing will.”

Minister Langa confirmed that Local Organising Commitee board members were each paid $150 per sitting, as their sitting allowance and said the position was as per government policy.

The amount saw the least paid board member getting about $2,500.

“We paid them as a Ministry through the guidance of government and treasury and in accordance with the rules and regulations,” said Minister Langa who was flanked by the local organising committee chief executive officer Elkanah Dube, chairperson Khonzani Ncube and her deputy Nyararai Sibanda.

In a related development, the regional organising committee said it only sanctioned daily allowances for international and local technical officials as well as volunteers only.

“As a matter of fact, Roc approved (in consistency with the Roc mandate as contained in the Protocol Agreement and Games Hosting Agreement) allowances for the international technical officials ($50 per day), local technical officials ($30 per day) and volunteers ($10 per day). As such, Roc does not and did not approve sitting allowances for Loc board members. Roc leaves any matters related to board members’ welfare under the capable hands of the Honourable Minister to whom the Loc board is accountable in consistency with the provisions of the Games Protocol Agreement,” Region 5 general manager Stanley Mutoya said in an email from the AUSC Region 5 headquarters in Botswana.