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After Weeks Of Media Pressure, Zim Gems Finally Get First Payment Of Allowances
23 July 2019
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By A Correspodent| After several weeks of media pressure, the Netball President, Leticia Chipandu finally released some of the allowance money to the Zim Gems.

Zimbabwe’s Netball team were set to fly out of the United Kingdom without a penny of their allowances had journalists (British and Zimbabwean) not performed the crucial role of revealing their plight.

All this came amid denials by Leticia Chipandu who kept insisting that all was well and as late as Sunday, claimed that the British Telegraph newspaper published falsehoods when it quoted the coach saying there was only £30 for the entire team to buy training equipment.

WATCH THE BELOW VIDEO AND ALSO, THE PICTURES OF THE DONATIONS. 

VIDEO LOADING BELOW

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

It all began on the 1st July 2019, when ZimEye exclusively revealed that all was not well with the Netball team’s fund. ZimEye promtly engaged the Sports And Recreation Commission in Harare to rectify the matter. Then on the 5th July, Leticia Chipandu while at Manchester Airport told ZimEye there was no problem at all with the allowances. She even got to the point of claiming that she had the players’ contracts to make public and would reveal them by the weekend.

But nearly 3 weeks later, Mrs Chipandu was still to pay anything and despite a promise on Thursday night, nothing was done. There was neither a contract signed per the promise.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW (21:40 to 23:00)

It had to take media pressure to get money to be released, in the same way, it had to take a lot of media pressure to get (ankle support) shoes 2 weeks before.

There was also another matter concerning the food for the team and several women spent days cooking for the Gems, two of them in the below  LIVE footage.

A Mental Health professional, Suku Moyo Mckenzie who visited the Gems, alleged that the Gems were being threatened and intimidated. It was McKenzie who then announced that she was calling for police assistance.

While it was not clear how much the national association and the players had agreed on for their allowances, 3 players told ZimEye they received a payment after ZimEye pursued Leticia Chipandu for answers (Saturday and Sunday).

While others would not reveal numbers, one player alleged they were given amounts ranging between USD600 (subs) and USD1,000 (active) per player. The rest of the allowances are to be paid in Zimbabwean Dollars.

They told ZimEye, “some have been paid USD600 and others USD1,000.”

Another player was quoted by the state owned Chronicle saying, “I think we have done well and I think, in between there, our morale has gone down because of some issues. But I think we have done so well. Even though we have those issues we have proven that we can do it all the time, whether we have issues or not. But I think we have done it.

“I think the main issue for us, to tell the truth was money and I think it’s still the issue but we have managed to come this far to be here without that money,’’ they said.

They continued saying, “it just lowers the morale for the players because sometimes we just think I am playing for nothing.

“We have been given some money but it’s not enough.

“I think, moving forward, before we take on the plane to go anywhere, we sign our contracts, we agree we are going to get this and this, those who want to get that, get on the plane, go and represent the country.

“Because, just to leave your country without anything, not knowing what you are getting, not knowing the contract, what’s in the contract, it’s not good, it’s not professional.’’