Ministry takes over hockey stadia

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation has taken over ownership and management of Khumalo and Magamba hockey stadia in Bulawayo and Harare, respectively.

This brings to three the number of sporting facilities that are now under the jurisdiction of the Kirsty Coventry-led ministry after the National Sports Stadium.

These facilities were previously owned and managed by the local government, public works and national housing.
Highly placed sourced told Chronicle Sport that the latest facilities have been added to the Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation inventory list.

“I am sure it’s public knowledge that the National Sports Stadium was the first to be under our ministry but we now have the two internationally acclaimed hockey stadia which have all along been under the ministry of local government, public works and national housing. The memorandum of understanding was signed sometime this year,” said the source.

Thokozile Chitepo the Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation ministry permanent secretary did not respond to questions sent to her via her mobile number.

The two facilities were given a facelift ahead of the 1995 All Africa Games which were hosted by Zimbabwe but had seemingly been neglected, especially Magamba while Khumalo Hockey Stadium would sometime play host to music shows, much to the anger of residents in the area who complained of unbearable noise levels.