Online Reporter
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
IN its heyday, the sprawling suburb of Dangamvura was a cradle of tennis talent.
Now, the construction of a new multipurpose sports court aims to rekindle that legacy while opening doors to a wider range of sporting disciplines.
Last Friday, Dangamvura legislator, Prosper Chapfiwa Mutseyami, officially handed over a newly built multi-purpose basketball, netball, volleyball, and tennis court to Mutare City Council.
The facility, funded through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), is designed to revive community sport and provide young people with positive alternatives to drug abuse.
The four-in-one court — accommodating basketball, volleyball, tennis, and netball — was completed at a cost of approximately US$30,000.
Mutseyami explained that discrepancies between official bank rates and the timing of CDF fund disbursements in local currency meant the actual value differed from the earmarked US$50,000 allocation.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Mutare Town Clerk, Blessing Chafesuka, commended Mutseyami and the CDF committee for investing in community infrastructure.
He assured residents that the council will immediately assume responsibility for safeguarding and maintaining the facility, ensuring it remains a hub for sport and youth development.
“I thank the Honourable Member of House of Assembly for Dangamvura and his CDF team. Starting today, we will deploy municipal police to guard the premises to avoid vandalism. We also thank the MP for reviving sport that was dying in this area,” said Chafesuka.
Chafesuka added that the council will ensure that the courts are properly maintained and integrated into its sports development programmes.
“To complement this, we are going to maintain these courts, and our academy will have its headquarters in Dangamvura,” he said.
In his remarks, Mutseyami said the project was a result of consultations with the constituency and the CDF committee, which identified the need for a shared sporting space for the community.
“We had meetings with the CDF committee and consultations within the constituency, and we agreed that we need a place where people can gather and do sport,” he said.
The legislator emphasised that the sports courts are, not only meant for recreation, but also as a social intervention to address drug and substance abuse among young people.
“Our thinking is that tennis talent used to be produced in Dangamvura, and we no longer see the same nowadays. So this is our effort to revive the sport, even though we will have other sporting codes, such as volleyball, basketball and netball, being played at the same venue. Sport is an area that will help manage youths across all political divides. With training and continuous involvement, our children will be kept busy and away from drugs,” said Mutseyami.
The handover marks a significant addition to Dangamvura’s community infrastructure, with local leaders expressing optimism that the facility will nurture talent, promote unity and provide a constructive outlet for young people.
