Times Of Swaziland: SD SUSPENDED FROM ZONE VI GAMES

SD SUSPENDED FROM ZONE VI GAMES
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BY DUMISANI NTIWANE on 07/03/2014 05:20:00


LOBAMBA – The country is E3 million in the red in the Supreme Council for
Sport in Africa (SCSA) Zone VI Games.
This is the amount the country had to pay to SCSA following the Under-20 Youth
Games in December 2010, which were hosted here.
The Parliament Sports Portfolio Committee and Members of Parliament (MPs) were
informed during the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs annual
performance report debate in the august House yesterday.
In his report Minister David ‘Cruiser’ Ngcamphalala told the house that a
decision to suspend the country from participating in all regional activities
with effect from May this year has been taken.
“All participating countries are obliged to pay a participation fee that is
used to cover part of the operational costs of hosting the Games with a 25 per
cent portion reserved for the SCSA/ZONE VI Office Operations. The 25 per cent of
the participation fee amounting to USD316.823 (approximately E3 million) was not
remitted to the SCSA/ZONE VI as per the Games Protocol Agreement due to
financial constraints.
payment
“An approach was made to the Ministry of Finance requesting them to facilitate
payment of the outstanding amount. However, this request could not be met due to
national fiscal challenges over the last four years. The SCSA/ZONE VI Council of
Ministers at their meeting of November 8 2013 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe resolved to
suspend Swaziland from participating in all regional activities with effect from
May 1, 2014 if the outstanding amount is not settled by April 30, 2014,” reads
part of the minister’s report.
Appointed MP Princess Ncengencenge noted in her remarks that the country’s
image was at stake, hence the need to settle the debt.
“The King has repeatedly stressed that the image of the country in the
international world was crucial and we should all strive towards ensuring the
country is projected in a positive light” said the princess.
Minister Ngcamphalala is expected to provide written answers for yesterday’s
session in the afternoon today.