Gems go for months without allowances

By Sikhumbuzo Moyo

Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Minister Kirsty Coventry says she’s dismayed that the Zimbabwe senior netball team players still haven’t been paid the $20 000 allowances promised to them more than a month ago.

The girls were promised the dues after a largely impressive maiden netball World Cup appearance where they came out eighth after winning three games in the tournament held in Liverpool, United Kingdom, in July.

Coventry has now promised to urgently look into the matter.

“Really? I will follow that up with my office next week (this week). They ought to have been paid as per promise,” Coventry told Chronicle Sport.

She revealed that the money was from the Africa Cup of Nations fundraising committee, which has to be audited for transparency purposes.

“There has been a slight delay because the money was originally with Afcon fundraising committee. There are different procedures that they have to go through because the committee was originally set up for Afcon and now they have to hand it over to the President, who will then hand it to the Gems and that takes a bit of time, but I shall be following it up with my office,” she said.

Coventry also expressed disappointment at the vanishing of a member of the Zimbabwe netball delegation, Phillip Masimba, who didn’t return home with the rest of the team.

“It’s sad that after helping secure visas for the team, we had one member of the netball team not returning home and that compromises us as a Ministry and country.

“We want honest people,” she said while addressing members of Indonsakusa Arts Group who had asked for government’s assistance in securing visas for their upcoming international tours. The Chronicle