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Blessings Chidakwa and Ivan Zhakata
The history of the country and, more importantly that of Harare, can never be complete without making reference to community halls, especially those in high- density suburbs such as Mbare and Highfield.
Community halls acted as meeting places for communities and were pivotal in hosting events like weddings, meetings and also as hubs for cottage industries.
The iconic Mai Musodzi and Stodart halls in Harare’s oldest suburb, Mbare, easily come to mind.
These facilities were revered in the olden days but fast forward to the present day, most of these halls dotted around the city have lost their lustre.
They are now hardly recognisable due to years of neglect and are slowly fading into oblivion along with their rich history.
Harare City Council owns Magamba Hall in Warren Park, Mt Pleasant Hall, Rutendo Hall in Mufakose, Tafara Hall, Dzivaresekwa Hall, Glen View New Hall and Sophie Hall in Glen View.
Others include Waterfalls, Hatfield, Sunningdale, Mabvuku, Lusaka and Old Highfield, Zimbabwe Hall and Cyril Jennings in Highfield and Chembira halls in Glen Norah, Stodart Hall, Mbare Gymnastics’, Mbare Flats, Mbare Netball Complex and Mai Musodzi halls, all in Mbare.
Peeling walls, shattered windowpanes, unkempt grounds and overgrown grass are some of the common features The Herald encountered when it went round to assess the state of some of the buildings.
The deterioration has been worsened by the destruction of security fences and perimeter walls.
Rusty gates and fences on the verge of collapse are still evident at most council-owned halls that were constructed in the pre-independence era.
This is despite the great potential that these halls have for generating revenue for council if hired out for weddings, crèches, church and political gatherings.
In Dzivaresekwa 1, for instance, the hall is in a sorry state with a maize field now acting as the new “fence’”.
Swings and slides that used to be a source of joy for children are no longer functional and are rusting away.
A resident, Mrs Henrietta James, urged council to attend to the hall or consider leasing it to private players.
“Council can generate more money if it spruces up the community hall which can be used as a wedding venue due to its strategic location and the green vegetation which makes it suitable for photo shoots.
“But at the moment no one would want to hire it because of the tall grass and broken windows,” she said.
The state of CJ Hall in Highfield is still modest, but the absence of a fence or security wall exposes it to vandalism and theft of property
However, the gutters need attention. Stodart Hall has benefited from its use for State funerals
Mai Musodzi Hall has also benefited from well-wishers and is still looking presentable. Sunningdale Hall also got a much needed facelift last year after NetOne partnered the city as part of is corporate responsibility efforts to help the city to attain world-class city status by 2025.
Harare spokesperson Mr Michael Chideme said council had earmarked funds for the revamping of some of the halls in this year’s budget.
“There are halls that we captured in the 2020 budget as part of our urban renewal programme. Some of the halls are open for partnerships with takers set to ride on advertising,” he said.
Online Reporter