Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE Government is yet to award a tender for the supply of bucket seats at the National Sports Stadium, 10 months after the Sports Ministry told Senators the process had been set in motion.
The revelation also comes before the Tuesday deadline given to Zifa by Caf for the national association to submit a comprehensive report on the status of the facility.
Zifa, however, said inspection had already been done and they would be submitting their report to the continental football authority.
“Inspection was conducted, we will submit reports to Caf before deadline,” said Zifa communications and competitions manager Xolisani Gwesela.
Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Thokozile Chitepo confirmed that no one has been awarded the tender to supply and install bucket seats, but was confident the work would be done at the stadium to bring it in line with required standards.
“No one has been awarded the tender yet, but we are happy with the work being done. There are a lot of things happening as we speak,” said Chitepo without elaborating.
Bucket seats and an electronic ticketing system remain the two major outstanding projects at the facility.
Last year in September, Minister Kirsty Coventry told Senators that the tender process had started and would be followed by installation of bucket seats at the National Sports Stadium and Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo.
“We are only left with two outstanding issues; that is the procurement of bucket seats and the electronic ticketing, which is now being procured through a tendering process,” Minister Coventry said, according to the Hansard.
Zifa got a reprieve from Caf in November last year when the Warriors were allowed to play their Afcon qualifier against Algeria at the National Sports Stadium in November last year before extending the same gesture to Zifa for the Warriors’ last Afcon qualifier against Zambia in March this year.
The World Cup qualifiers were supposed to start in May before being pushed to early last month only for Caf to halt the matches again before slotting them in September as the continent is battling with increasing Covid-19 infections.
Caf asked Zimbabwe to complete all outstanding work at the stadium to meet required standards for the senior men’s team matches.
In the same month, 22 countries were stripped of their right to play home matches after their stadia were condemned for failing to meet required standards.
The Warriors are in Group G alongside Ghana, Ethiopia and neighbours South Africa in the World Cup qualifiers.
Bafana Bafana will be the first to collide with the Warriors in early September before the Zimbabweans face Ethiopia then Ghana.
Winners of the group book a ticket to the World Cup finals in Qatar next year. Only the Warriors and Ethiopia are yet to make their debut at the World Cup finals in Group G.
Online Reporter