Sports

BREAKING: Sports director in corruption scandal

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE director of sports in the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Eugenia Chidakwa has been accused of massive looting of equipment and goods meant for the 2014 African Union Sports Council Region Five Under-20 Youth Games that were held in Bulawayo.

Chidakwa, who intelligence sources also fingered as the architect behind moves to try and have the Games taken away from Bulawayo after covertly organising a meeting between the now late Ausc Region Five secretary general Mvuzo Mbebe and former Vice President Joice Mujuru so that the former could use her influence in the presidium, refused to respond to the allegations against her person but instead referred Chronicle Online to the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, Thokozile Chitepo who was also coy in coming up with a definite position that the ministry will take.

In his speech during the official torch lighting ceremony for the Games at the State House in 2014, the late former President Robert Mugabe confirmed the underhand plans.

“So if the VP can say yes, she will be the right person to go to the President with the strong view, what is that? I would never have accepted it and I am glad she rebuffed him (Mbebe) and said no,” said the late President.

Chidakwa is accused of taking with her, a Playstation, projector, lap tops, television set, takkies and VIP jackets. For the jackets she is alleged to have claimed that they will be given to House of Assembly members.

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Sources said when one member of the local organising committee reminded her that the items were suppose to be part of the Games’ legacy to the City of Bulawayo, she said the Games were for Zimbabwe and Bulawayo was just a host.

The items ‘taken’ by Chidakwa are some of those that were delivered, at the insistence of the Local organising committee chairperson Thokozani Ncube and her chief executive officer Elkannh Dube, after the end of the Games.

“May you kindly send the allegations to the accounting officer who is the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, Dr Chitepo,” she wrote in her response which came 17 hours after.

When she was reminded that the allegations were against her person not the ministry and therefore she ought to respond, Chidakwa said;

“I am a Government official and the route I requested you to follow is the route that should be followed to get the responses”.

HERALD