admin
Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
THE Olympafrica Centre Project pencilled for Epworth is likely to be delayed after the land that the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee had been offered by the Epworth Local Board was invaded by “informal settlers”.
The project is funded by the Olympafrica Foundation which supports projects in Africa and focuses on disadvantaged communities.
ZOC and the Epworth Local Board signed an agreement last year that would have seen the National Olympic Committee building a multi-purpose sports centre in the area.
The multi-purpose sports centre is designed to cater for five sporting disciplines — athletics, boxing, basketball, soccer and netball.
According to the agreement, the local board would provide land while ZOC secures the funding. And ZOC have already secured $150 000 of the $500 000 pledged for the project.
The first Olympafrica Centre was built in Senegal in 1992 and this was followed by the creation of the Olympafrica Foundation in 1993.
Such models are in existence in over 35 countries all over Africa and the Epworth project is set to be the first in Zimbabwe.
The project is owned by ZOC and is part of the ZOC legacy activities.
The selected site had already been approved by senior officials from the Senegal-based Olympafrica Foundation who visited the country in the first half of the year.
Epworth Local Board secretary, Kizito Muhomba, said the invasion of the site began mid-July and they tried to relocate the families to an alternative place but they faced resistance.
“Two weeks back when ZOC advised us that they had received the first disbursement for the project and that an alternative site would pose a challenge, the Board then identified a place which it would plan and peg properly for relocation of the few families occupying the sports centre site.
“The Councillor for the Ward held a meeting with the local board and it seemed this idea was welcome but when Council employees and the police went to carry out an authentication exercise of who actually was on site, the settlers threatened them and we had to withdraw them fearing for their safety in light of what has happened in the past.
“From that time, the occupation of the actual sports site intensified,” said Muhomba.
Muhomba, however, said they were working on rectifying the situation and noted that it will be tragic if the project fails to take off.
“That would be tragic. A development of such nature in Epworth is not an ordinary one and may never happen in any foreseeable future.
“Epworth Local Board was fortunate enough to be approached by the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee in 2013 where ZOC was looking for land to construct a state-of-the-art multi-purpose sports centre.
“Naturally, this was a welcome idea as there are no such facilities in Epworth, which as you might know, is largely disadvantaged in terms of urban development.
“The board had a place, (approximately 5 hactres) reserved for such a development in its Government approved maps and gladly resolved to donate that piece of land for the project.
“In return, Epworth Local Board and the community of Epworth would have free access to the facility which would be managed by both the community as represented by the Local Board and ZOC.
“The issue at hand is quite unfortunate. We, however, do not work alone and hope to get assistance from the Government,” said Muhomba.
ZOC chief executive, Anna Mguni, said the Centre will not only focus on sport.
“The Olympafrica Centre Project is a multi-purpose complex with sport, cultural and socio-economic components in terms of its structure and service provision.
“The Centres are supported by relevant local authorities, worked on by organised local people and developed in line of the needs of the community spreading Olympic values as well as creating opportunity and sustainable development activities in such communities.
“We remain optimistic that the plans will proceed and Zimbabwe will have its first Olympafrica Centre within the next 18 months,” said Mguni.
Mguni said the agreement signed by the two parties would have seen ELB providing the land for the project while ZOC’s role was to secure funding and to manage the project.
The ZOC chief executive said if there are going to be changes to the original terms of the agreement they will have to look at the options in line with the objectives.
“Due to the need to uphold the objectives outlined by the programme, there would be need to carry out a review if there is misalignment between what is now pertaining on the ground and the original terms of the agreement,” said Mguni.
Online Reporter