Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
The recent strike by Bulawayo City Council workers and latest Level 4 lockdown resrictions have adversely affected progress in revamping Highlanders’ clubhouse grounds.
Overgrown weeds and grass at the grounds means council will have to start afresh when work finally resumes.
Highlanders paid the full amount of $380 000 for restoration of the clubhouse training grounds to the council’s Nursery and Parks Department.
Work was supposed to be completed in four months but the lockdown and council strike have adversely affected progress.
The project to revamp the clubhouse grounds started in February 2020 but was temporarily stalled twice due to the Covid-19 lockdown last year and when the water pump broke down. The water pump was repaired in September and work resumed. The first field was taking shape, with lawn being planted and it looked like the project would be completed before the deadline.
The tightening of the lockdown has seen the project being temporarily abandoned since it’s not an essential service.
At the time of tightening the lockdown, work had moved to the second field.
A council official said: “Work at the facility in question (Highlanders clubhouse) will resume after lockdown. It’s a pity that completion of the project has taken long but it is due to unforseen events that none of us have control of.”
Besides the weeds and long grass at Highlanders clubhouse, council has also not cut grass around the city since the onset of the rains, making open spaces and roadsides an eyesore.
The long grass and weeds have made driving on some city roads hazardous, especially at intersections and curves as drivers’ views are blurred.
Criminals also hide in such places and mug people.
Revamping of the clubhouse is part of the club’s plans to save substantial costs in training fees.
After completion, one field will be reserved for the first team use while the junior teams will use the other two fields for training sessions and home games.
Bosso also plan to rent out one of the grounds to social teams that use the clubhouse as their home and use the money for maintaining the facility. – @ZililoR
Online Reporter