Online Reporter
Patrick Chitumba
THE construction of Chahwanda Stadium in Kwekwe is progressing steadily, with contractors expecting to complete the project by the end of this month.
Efforts are focused on ensuring that the stadium meets the Confederation of African Football’s (Caf) standards, allowing it to host international matches. The contractors are confident that the stadium will be ready for its official opening next month, which will feature an exciting match between Zimbabwean football legends and African legends.
Once the stadium meets Zifa standards, Kwekwe United is expected to use the facility for its home matches, bringing top-flight football to the mining town of Kwekwe.
Yesterday, the Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Owen Ncube, toured the stadium to assess the progress made so far. Minister Ncube commended the investors for their contribution to national development.“The need for local authorities to adhere to the principles of good governance, transparency, and accountability remains vital in creating opportunities in sports and other economic sectors that support our GDP growth,” he said.
Minister Ncube also remarked that the tour of Chahwanda Stadium had been both inspirational and reassuring. “The development of our communities is indeed a collective responsibility that requires commitment, resilience, selflessness and most importantly, patriotism, as demonstrated by our project sponsors. We are, indeed, our own political and economic liberators,” he added. Project spokesperson, Prophet Walter Magaya, assured that the stadium would be operational in about 35 days.
“What I can assure the nation is that 35 days from now, this stadium will be operational. We are very excited that the Zifa president and his team have visited the site and assured us that they will be bringing in officials from Caf to inspect the stadium for consideration of international matches,” he said.
Magaya also confirmed that all necessary materials for the construction are already on-site.
“We now have all the materials here, and we are approximately 60 to 70 percent complete. Major works such as the foundations and steelworks are already done and we are good to go,” he said.
