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Dingilizwe Ntuli Sports Editor
Zanu-PF national spokesman Cde Simon Khaya Moyo last night expressed shock that his home province of Matabeleland South was forced to leave the ongoing National Youth Games in Mutare after failing to pay about $11,500 in participation fees.
The Matabeleland South team was kicked out of the games late on Tuesday after failing to pay a participation fees pegged at $80 per individual for its 144 athletes and officials.
Matabeleland South only managed to raise money for five boxers and five track athletes, who remained behind representing the province while the rest returned home in tears and shame.
Cde Khaya Moyo said it was embarrassing that his province was kicked out of the games and could not understand how this happened when it was known that these games would be held a year ago.
“I’m sad to hear such a thing. Why would we as Matabeleland South fail to mobilise such an amount? Nobody brought it to my attention and I’m hearing it for the first time from you,” said Cde Khaya Moyo.
“It should never have and should never be allowed to happen.
“It was known for a long time that there will be such games and it’s baffling how we were caught unprepared. I will have a sleepless night knowing that my province went through such an embarrassing moment,” he said.
Matabeleland South Youth Games team general manager Abinel Mseva said the decision to send them packing was taken by the General Managers’ Assembly late on Tuesday after negotiations for their continued participation were unsuccessful.
Mseva said they haven’t heard from the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Cde Andrew Langa, who hails from the province, since being kicked out of the games despite informing him about their predicament through the Matabeleland South provincial administrator.
Cde Langa was, however, present at the official opening of the games by Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Saturday.
He could not be reached last night as his mobile phone was unreachable. “We’ve followed protocol by informing the Minister about what happened through our provincial administrator but we’ve not heard anything as of now.”
“We had appealed for funding to pay the affiliation fees and had all the hopes that we were going to get something based on promises from our stakeholders, but all that never materialised,” he said.
Mseva said they had even made a decision to decamp before going to Mutare last week after they failed to raise the affiliation fees, but travelled hoping something would come through and all ended in vain.
He said the sad part of this episode was informing the athletes that they had to leave the games as some had started competing.
“We explained to them through our structures that we had to leave due to non-payment and you could see their disappointment.
“All stakeholders in the province now have to come together for the common good because our kids were hurt by what happened. Let’s put the province first before individuals because what happened is embarrassing,” Mseva said.
He said the disappointed athletes left Mutare for home yesterday.
The games are ending on August 23.
Online Reporter