Friday, October 16, 2009

Mutharika demands accountability in sports funding

President Bingu wa Mutharika has bemoaned the level of accountability in sports, saying officials hardly accounted for resources channeled to them.
Mutharika, responding to concerns over poor funding to sports associations, said his government was committed to promoting sports in the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) member state, but only after assurances all resources would be accounted for.
“At the moment, I think investing in sports is tantamount to investing in a bottomless pit or basin. Officials seem to think that state funding is a gift that should not be accounted for and, as a result, we find that some of the things earmarked for funding are not done,” said Mutharika.
Mutharika, who invites the netball and football national teams when they perform beyond people’s expectations, is an avid follower of netball and soccer.
He often says he supports netball because he likes winners and football because he is long-time friend to the president of Brazil.
“Gone is the time people pocketed money meant for sports development. We are in an era of accountability and transparency. I will arrest those who fail to account for tax payers’ money,” he said.

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