The Francophonie Games which took place in Kinshasa in 2023 were a major opportunity for the Democratic Republic of Congo to highlight its capacity to organize large-scale sporting events. Unfortunately, these games were also marked by problematic financial management, which resulted in exorbitant expenses for the Congolese state.
Initially planned with a budget of $48 million, organizing the games ultimately cost the state $324 million. Sports infrastructure was constructed and rehabilitated during the event, leading to unforeseen expenses and delays in the delivery of facilities.
According to the Congolese Minister of Finance, Nicolas Kazadi, poor management of the work by Congolese organizers was the main cause of these excessive expenses. Delays in completing projects have forced authorities to triple some budgets to complete the work on time.
It was also revealed that the director of the National Games Committee, Isidore Kwandjia, had made unilateral decisions by increasing budget items without the approval of the steering committee. This led to unauthorized payments and poor financial planning.
Despite these difficulties, the Minister of Finance is delighted with the sports infrastructures that have been built, stressing that they will allow the country to host major competitions in the future. However, he also insists on the need to learn from the mistakes of this edition of the Games of La Francophonie and to ensure more rigorous budgetary planning in the future.
It is obvious that the financial management of the Francophonie Games in Kinshasa in 2023 has left something to be desired, with expenses that far exceeded the initial budget. It is imperative that the Congolese authorities learn from this experience to avoid such mistakes in the future. Rigorous budgetary planning and transparent management are essential to ensure the success of such sporting events.