Zimbabwe reports on Thursday have it that some of the officials who followed the seven-athlete of the Olympics team to Paris were not real delegated officials.
According to the Zimbabwe Olympic committee (ZOC) they had sent nine staff including coaches and some other officials. Many people online had criticised the team for wasting public funds after the Arrived in France and attended the Olympics opening ceremony.
“We are aware though that there are many other technical officials, dignitaries invited to the games directly to officiate and as guests and many other hundreds of Zimbabweans in Paris in various capacities,” said ZOC president Thabani Gonye.
“These are not part of the Team Zimbabwe delegation but Zimbabweans all welcome and free to cheer our athletes on.”
This statement of public funds wastage came after reports that the country had sent, in some suitcases using private jets, a delegation of more than 60 people which included Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and the Minister of Sports Zimbabwe,Kirsty Coventry.
“The sheer size of the official delegation, particularly in contrast to the small number of athletes, raises serious questions about the government’s priorities and resource allocation, especially at a time when it is begging for drought relief assistance from countries that sent huge teams of athletes with very few officials,” prominent journalist and activist Hopewell Chin’ono said on their X handle.
Former education minister Jonathan Moyo said it is “embarrassing dent on Zimbabwe’s reputation”.
Nick Mangwana, who is one of the government spokesman affirmed that Vice President Chiwenga was in Paris for the Olympics’ official opening and also for “other business” which included luring investments.
“It is not just about the Olympics, there is other work,” he wrote on social media.
Notably, Zimbabwe is one of the countries in Africa that is plagued with food insecurity and shortage because of the severe dryness in the land.
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