All set for Kwekwe sports festival

Michael Magoronga Midlands Correspondent
The stage has been set for the revamped Kwekwe July Sports and Arts Festival pencilled for this weekend at Torwood Stadium.

The three-day jamboree slated for July 20 to 22, a brainchild of Kwekwe City Council, has been revamped and has now roped in Redcliff and Zibagwe Rural District Councils.

The patron for the festival, Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister July Moyo said the carnival has been given a new look so that it appeals to a wider audience.

Minister Moyo who is also vying for the Redcliff constituency in the harmonised election said renovations at Torwood Stadium were at an advanced stage.

“I liaised with the three local councils and urged them to work together and they agreed. So the festival will be taking place at Torwood Stadium, which is currently undergoing renovations in preparation of the festival,” he said.

He said participants will be drawn from Redcliff, Kwekwe, Zhombe and Silobela among other places and will be bigger and better.

He said the MSU Law Faculty will help sponsor the festival.

“We have the MSU Law Faculty that is based in Kwekwe that has come in to sponsor the festival in addition to what the councils would have forked out. We also have different companies coming in to sponsor the festival,” said Minister Moyo.

Chairperson of the Organising committee, Mr Edson Chiyangwa, said they had set aside an initial $15 000 for the jamboree.

“We had drawn a budget of $15 000 with each local authority contributing $5 000.

“But with the coming in of MSU and other companies we might be talking of double the amount,” he said.

Mr Chiyangwa who is acting Housing director for Kwekwe City Council, said sporting activities will comprise soccer, tennis, marathon, athletics, boxing and indoor games like pool darts and chess.

In terms of cultural activities, Mr Chiyangwa said different cultural groups will compete in acts like mhande, muchongoyo, deze and jikinya amongst other.

“We will have live performances from local bands like Peter Moyo and DJ Stavo who have already confirmed their participation. We also have guest artists who will come in as surprise acts,” he said.