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President Mnangagwa

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
SUPPLIERS and service providers for the 2014 African Union Sports Council Region Five Under-20 Youth Games have penned an open letter to President Emmerson Mnangangwa appealing for his intervention in settling their dues.

The group appealed to President Mnangagwa to order Treasury to release funds for their payment and deal with those individuals or organisations that are alleged to have defrauded the government through fraudulent claims, as unearthed by an audit firm authorised by Cabinet to conduct a forensic audit of the whole process.

“Your Excellency, we salute you and we are very much grateful for your visionary and astute leadership which has brought about notable positive changes and change of fortunes in the new dispensation. In the shortest possible time under your reign, we have witnessed a great improvement with the new order bringing a lot of optimism and instilling confidence in the economy. We, however, draw your attention to the issue of overdue payments for the Zone Six Youth Games that were hosted by Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in 2014. The Bulawayo Zone Six contractors, suppliers and service providers are on the brink of economic collapse due to outstanding and unpaid invoices for work done,” wrote the suppliers.

They said out of all suppliers that were contracted for the games, only a few are still operational partly due to non-payment of work done despite hopes that the jamboree would bring change to Bulawayo, “but we note with concern that Bulawayo has never been the same in a very negative way”.

“Due to the failure to pay, most companies that are still operational are failing to meet daily and monthly obligations such as rentals, rates, electricity bills, salaries and phone bills. Most capital used for the games was borrowed from banks and individuals and this has seen companies facing litigation and disposal of their properties at auction rates and attachment of personal and business assets. Companies have been blacklisted by suppliers due to failure to settle debts for materials acquired for the said games. Your Excellency, you are our last hope and we have every confidence and belief in your administration that you will speedily look into the matter and save the Bulawayo industries,” wrote the suppliers.

The suppliers are believed to be owed in the region of $1.5 million in total. – @skhumoyo2000