Decades after his sporting achievements, the former sprinter is openly discussing the significant struggles he has faced, particularly since losing his employment.

In a video shared on social media on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, by user @royalmabika44, Mujaji, aged 54, spoke directly about his difficult reality. He revealed that life has been challenging for him ever since Shabanie Mine, where he was employed, shut down in 2007, leaving him without a steady income source for nearly two decades.

From Paralympic Glory to Daily Struggle

Elliot Mujaji etched his name in Zimbabwe's sporting history with his remarkable performances on the track. He famously overcame severe burn injuries sustained in a 1996 substation accident to compete at the highest level. His crowning achievement came at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics, where he won a gold medal in the 100m sprint (T46 classification), a feat he repeated at the 2004 Athens Paralympics. 

These victories brought immense pride to Zimbabwe and solidified his status as a national icon.

Paralympic Champion Elliot Mujaji Appeals for Assistance Amidst Hard Times

However, the post-retirement years have reportedly been far from the comfortable life often expected for sporting heroes. In the recent video, Mujaji stated, "Since I retired, life has not been well for me... Personally, my life is not going well. I’ve not been working ever since Shabanie closed down.”

He also highlighted the impact of his financial difficulties on a project close to his heart: supporting the young athletes under his own academy, indicating he is currently unable to provide the necessary assistance to these aspiring talents.

The Downfall: Job Loss and Lost Investments

Mujaji's current predicament is reportedly linked to a series of unfortunate events following his peak sporting years. Besides the critical loss of employment when Shabanie Mine closed in 2007, a previous report from 2021 by ZimMorningPost detailed how a significant portion of his savings was lost.

Following his second gold medal win at the 2004 Athens Paralympics, Mujaji was reportedly rewarded by then-President Robert Mugabe with a cash prize. He used part of this money to purchase a double-storey house and invested the remainder in an investment fund at CFX Bank.

Narrating this ordeal previously, Mujaji explained, “In 2004, after winning in Athens, Greece, the former President (Robert Mugabe) gave me some money and l bought a double-storey house, deposited some money in an investment fund at CFX bank, but the bank went under.” The collapse of CFX Bank meant the loss of his invested funds, severely impacting his financial security.

Struggling to Cope: Selling Assets and Seeking Opportunity

With his savings gone and no job, Mujaji reportedly made efforts to seek assistance from the highest office at the time, but indicated these were ignored. Left to support his family, he was eventually forced to take drastic measures, including selling his house to afford school fees for his children who were in boarding schools.

He described this period as when "everything went bad," adding that even disposing of his house in what he described as a "botched swap deal" did not bring the expected relief, coinciding with his approach to retirement age.

A Plea for a Job, Not a Handout

In his recent appeal, echoing sentiments from previous pleas to the government, Elliot Mujaji emphasized that he is not seeking charity or handouts. His core request is for an opportunity to work and provide for his family through his own efforts.

“Right now, everything is not rosy, I have two wives and four children, and my plea to the Government of Zimbabwe is to give me a job so that I can at least cater for my family,” Mujaji stated.

Zimbabwe's First Paralympic Gold Medallist Shares Struggles Since Retirement and Job Loss

The appeal from the former champion serves as a poignant reminder of the challenges many individuals face after their moments in the national spotlight, and underscores the need for sustainable support systems for sporting heroes in their post-career lives.