SUPPLIERS who were contracted for the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games held last December have lashed out at Sport, Arts and Culture minister Andrew Langa for not taking their grievances seriously as they are still to be paid for their services.
BY THANDIWE MOYO/MAMELO NKOMO
The suppliers met principal director in the ministry Benson Martins Dube, Games chief executive officer Elkanah Dube and chairperson Khonzani Ncube at a hotel in Bulawayo yesterday.
However, some of the suppliers walked out of the meeting saying their problems were not addressed as they were not given definite dates on when they would be paid.
“All we want is our money nothing more nothing less,” fumed one supplier.
“We were told that were going to be paid within 21 days after the games but now it’s more than 80 days after the games and we are still not paid.
There is no commitment on when we will be paid. Today he (Benson) came here to test the waters, to see our reaction and not give us straight forward answers,” he said.
Some of the suppliers said they felt that Langa was not doing his job as he had opted out of the meeting instead of facing them to explain what was going on.
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“He is not doing his job. Other ministries had their problems solved within hours but we have had to wait. Why didn’t he come here? He has to tell us what is going on,” said another supplier.
“Langa is disrespecting us. We are now suffering because he is not serious with his job. We want our money. We were told that he is here in Bulawayo and he was supposed to come and tell us when we are getting our money,” he said.
Others were of the opinion they should start charging the government interest until they are paid in full.
Dube referred all questions to the suppliers saying they would be in a position to give accurate details on what transpired at the meeting. He had earlier on asked the media to leave the conference room before the meeting started. Efforts to get a comment from Langa were fruitless as he was not reachable on his mobile phones.
