Zimbabwe’s Tourism Ministry has presented a US$28 million budget to treasury for the sector’s wants during the June World Cup finals in South Africa, at a moment when one team contributing at the finals has decided to use Zimbabwe as their base.

Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi said on Wednesday the budget have been send to the Finance Ministry. “We have presented a US$28 million budget to allow Zimbabwe to fulfill its objectives before the World Cup in June and it is at present under concern,” he said.

He added that it was vital that the funding be offered before the end of this month for some of the projects to be finished on time. So far, US$1.5 million has been held from the private area for the establishment of 15 fan parks across the country. South Africa will not be able to hold about 450 000 visitors anticipated for the World Cup, opening up an opportunity for neighboring countries to advantage economically.

Zimbabwe, expecting financial benefits from the World Cup, has been busy trying to neat up tourist purposes, hotels and stadiums to lure World Cup teams and visitors. Mzembi said the government had since decided with one team that will be captivating part in the World Cup 2010 finals to use Zimbabwe as its base while another “brand team” was also allowing for using the country as its base.

He however could not be drawn into state the names of the two teams citing privacy. The southern African country’s tourism industry is option up after suffering a recession in the aftermath of President Robert Mugabe’s chaotic and frequently violent land redistribution exercise that involved negative publicity for the country to fright away foreign tourists.