The Sunday News
Tinomuda Chakanyuka Sunday News Reporter
THE City of Bulawayo might not have benefited as much as it expected from the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Under-20 Youth Games that were held in the city in December last year, amid indications that many of the facilities set up ahead of the games were already dysfunctional.
Local businesspeople who provided services to the local organising committee during the games also got a raw deal as they have not been paid almost three months after the games were held.
During the run-up to the games, there was a lot of promise that Bulawayo would benefit immensely from staging the games in terms of sporting infrastructure development and business that the games would bring to the city.
However, if the state of affairs and the allegations of non-payment being raised by local businesspeople are anything to go by, then the promises were just another pie in the sky for the City of Kings.
According to Bulawayo City Council minutes, the Bulawayo Swimming Pool which was refurbished ahead of the games, has been closed to the public since 13 February firstly due to a malfunctioning heating system and then the entire pumping system.
And as if that is not enough, the new swimming pool that was built ahead of the games is also said to have developed leaks and is unsuitable for use.
Barbourfields, White City and Luveve stadia were refurbished ahead of the Games and were expected to be turned into state-of-the-art facilities but this has not been the case as some of the work was half-done.
The tartan track that was laid at White City for athletics was reportedly poorly laid and would need to be scrapped and relaid. The (AUSC) Region 5 Under-20 Youth Games local organising committee delayed to hand over the stadium back to Bulawayo City Council due to its state.
Local businesspeople who spoke to Sunday News said they were slowly losing patience with the games’ local organising committee which kept on giving empty promises on the payment of money for services rendered during the games.
A local sports shop, whose owner refused to be named, claims to be owed close to $50 000 after he provided football jerseys, boots and tracksuits to some of the teams that took part in the games.
The shopowner said the debt had crippled him as he was now unable to restock. The local businesspeople also fear that they may never get their dues as the local organising committee disbands at the end of this month.
Another local sports shop which also supplied sports kits and balls is also owed about $42 000 and the owner, who again refused to be named, expressed frustration at the continued delays in making payments.
The games local organising committee’s chairperson Mrs Khonzani Ncube refused referred all questions to the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Cde Andrew Langa who assured the local businesspeople who offered services during the games that their money would come.
