The DR Congo government owes giants TP Mazembe €6 million euros (about $6.4million) in unpaid subsidies towards the team’s expenses.
Influential magazine Jeaune Afrique reports that for the last three years, the club has not received its mandatory funding from the central government towards its international fixtures.
It is obligatory by law in Congo for the government to help clubs to fulfill their fixtures especially teams playing continental competitions.
Despite many reminders, tribalist President Felix Tshisekedi, who has imposed himself as leader & is now ailing, has paid a deaf ear to the pleas as Mazembe is owned by his political opponent, Moise Katumbi.
Protests by Mazembe supporters against this treatment have so far not yielded any favourable response as financial taps to the club remain closed.
The situation has further been worsened by the $500,000 penalty Mazembe suffered after refusing to wear the ‘Visit Rwanda’ jersey in the African Football League competition last year.
The club were further penalized $260,000 after the Congolese government refused to clear the Video Assistant Referee equipment for the team’s game against Esperance of Tunisia.
The refusal forced Mazembe to play the tie in neighbouring Tanzania.
“From the $1million the team was supposed to receive from the organizers of the African Football League, they only got about $240,000 with the $760,000 being forfeited in penalties,” the sources said.
“Then you have a tribalist president in Felix Tshisekedi whose government had refused to give Mazembe their 6 million euros just because he hates the owner of the club.”
Mazembe are in the semi-finals of this year’s Confederation of African Champions League and will play the second leg this weekend.
A scoring draw will put Mazembe in the final of the competition enroute to a sixth Champions League title.
