IN the wake of budgetary constraints exacerbated by the current drought situation, the minister of Youth, Sports, and Arts has called upon athletes to exercise patience as the government grapples with competing priorities, particularly the urgent need to address food shortages.
Addressing the media, yesterday minister Elvis Nkandu emphasised the government’s commitment to compensating athletes who represented the nation at the recent Ghana and Olympics games.
However, he underscored the imperative of prioritising immediate needs, particularly amidst the ongoing drought crisis.
“To our sports men and women, even as we push for these monies, we should be mindful that we are in a disaster (drought). Let’s also be aware that we are just coming from cholera (outbreak) and this will not spare any body including you yourselves,” said Nkandu.
Amidst the frustration among athletes awaiting their dues, Nkandu appealed for understanding, stressing the importance of unity and patriotism in the face of adversity.
He assured athletes of the government’s unwavering commitment to their welfare while urging them to demonstrate patience and understanding during these challenging times
“I believe that even a minister or PS in the ministry of youth, sports and arts will not pressurise the Minister of finance to release money and pay our sports men and women yet we have another competing need where people need food,” Nkandu added.
“But that does not mean the government is not committed to dismantling whatever arrears it has for our sports men and women. All we want from them is their patriotism to come first.”
Meanwhile, Nkandu cautioned those trying to gain political advantage by politicising the way Government was handling the payment to stop.
“Of late I have seen politicians, some of them were even presidents before. Who couldn’t even help these sports men and women when it came to the challenges that they were facing. But today, bala petako namakunda paku tamba bola (they even fold their hands and legs when watching football) busy cheering,” Nkandu said.
“I don’t have a problem with people cheering but I have a problem with people that want to make political capital out of nothing.”
“Let me also say that politics and sports are antagonistic to each other,” he said. “People are now saying ‘have you paid them?’ but when they were in power, they couldn’t offer any help.”
Nkandu also announced the allocation of K10 million out of a planned K30 million grant to be distributed among local authorities for sports development at the community level.
This initiative aims to improve sports infrastructure and increase participation.
By Elesani Phiri
Kalemba April 22, 2024
