Youth Games crisis

Ray Bande Senior Sports Reporter
MINISTER of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs, Mandi Chimene, has admitted that the National Youth Games preparations are in a crisis, amid revelations that the Local Organising Committee (LOC) has virtually nothing in its coffers less than a month before the province hosts the 13th edition of the annual multi-sporting disciplines event next month.

This year’s National Youth Games are scheduled for August 15 to 23 in Mutare, while general managers from other provinces are expected to troop in the eastern border city on August 13.

At a meeting held in Mutare on Tuesday to review progress made in preparation of the Games so far, National Youth Games Manicaland LOC accountant, Ananias Mugabe, told a roomful of officials from various Government departments that they had not received anything towards their $1 million budget.

“We simply have figures on paper and we have not received anything so far. We have nothing in our coffers. We have since crafted a district fundraising strategy whereby each district in the province will contribute in kind towards the event even though cash donations are still welcome.

“We are also expecting to raise funds through the affiliation fees from participating provinces. We have 10 provinces and each province is expected to field 272 athletes. $80 is paid for each athlete and that will raise $21 760 from each province. We are also expecting donations from schools if these Games are to be a success. We are expecting each secondary school student to pay $1,40, while those in primary pay 70 cents, while non formal school students will be expected to pay $1,40 each across the province.

“We are also looking forward for donations from the business community and to this end we have made estimates of the number of companies that we have in each district and the amount they are expected to donate. In Chipinge, we expect to get 80 companies donating $50 each, in Chimanimani we expect to get 30 companies also paying $50 each. Mutare is expected to have 150 companies donating $50 each. Mutasa and Nyanga are also expected to have 50 companies apiece that will donate $50 each,” said Mugabe.

The crisis has also been worsened by the reluctance by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to release about $66 000 that had already been raised from the schools around the province.

Officials in Tuesday’s meeting heard that the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education issued an instruction at a recent headmasters’ meeting in Nyanga that schools were not obliged to donate towards the Youth Games hence the money be held at the provincial education office until further instructions.

However, Chimene was clearly dismayed by Mugabe’s report and demanded that the LOC works overtime to raise half of the budget by next Tuesday or at least craft a reasonable modus operandi to achieve about $500 000.

Chimene, who sacrificed her rest to attend the meeting as she is off sick, said the Youth Games must not be a platform to unnecessarily flex political muscles, but should be used to unite Zimbabweans as a country.

“The last time that we met we agreed that we will start work and all along I thought work was going on smoothly. Honestly speaking, I thought I would come to this meeting to see a parade of athletes that will be representing the province.

“To me, your silence meant that all is going on well. Are you really serious that there is nothing in your coffers? Please, let us be serious with our work.

“Let us not start unnecessary wars. I am good at that, but I do not want it. How can grown-up men and women sit and pretend that all is well? No alarm, nothing! Is this deliberate? I will not accept a situation that the Youth Games were cancelled because we were not prepared.

“Now that I have seen that you wanted me to come down and monitor your work on a daily basis, I will do that because this is a crisis,” fumed Chimene.

The straight-talking Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs, who donated a tonne of maize from her farm, said schools must contribute towards the event and demanded that the money from school be released forthwith.

“Schools must contribute towards the event. There are so many things that are being paid for in schools and as parents we have always been doing that. If they can pay $1 for the civics day at schools, what more for such an important event? Let that money that we hear is being withheld somewhere be released and put to use immediately.

“How do you want us to progress? After all, the Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education were once one ministry in Government though they were later somehow separated. We are serving one master and that is the Zimbabwean Government. We are serving one child and that is the Zimbabwean child. There is no need to try to make you weight be felt by the next person.

“We also agreed that as the organisers of the Games we should contribute something towards the event. After all, you are the ones who want nice food and yearn for the high table during events, yet you are reluctant to work for it. Next time do not accept responsibilities that you can’t handle. I am donating a tonne of maize and I will see what I will add after consulting the head of the house at home,” said Chimene.

She also urged the LOC to think outside the box and engage important stakeholders like churches.

“If the likes of Magaya give so much, even to football, why can we not also utilise that avenue. There are so many churches around and who said churches do not support sport. Have you approached bishops and other church leaders?

“When I assumed this post, we told each other that whoever doesn’t want to think or use his or her brains should just step aside. We have musicians that are being widely followed like Jah Prayzah, why can’t we engage them and ask them to donate to this cause by holding a show that they will not charge us for? These are just ideas that I am selling to you. We really cannot fail to raise money in such a rich province,” she said.