Zimbabweans are fuming after it emerged that a whopping official delegation has descended upon Paris to “support” a paltry team of just seven athletes at the Olympics. Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, accompanied by his wife and a coterie of high-ranking officials, is making the most of the French sojourn, with business meetings and bilateral discussions on the side. But back home, many are questioning the necessity of such a large entourage, especially when the country’s economic woes are well-documented.

The Zimbabwean team, comprising sprinters, long-distance runners, swimmers, and a lone rower, seems almost like an afterthought amidst the sea of suits and ties. While the athletes sweat it out on the tracks and fields, their officials are enjoying the finer things in life, courtesy of the taxpayer. The juxtaposition is jarring, to say the least. As one social media user quipped, “More officials than athletes? It’s like sending a whole army to guard a lone sheep!