Phelandaba Stadium gets uplift ahead of Gospel Show

Nhlalwenhle Ngwenya
IN preparation for the second edition of the Gwanda Gospel Show to be held 26- 28 August, Phelandaba Stadium has been spruced up.

Built by the Gwanda Rural Council in 1974, the stadium now has a fresh new coat of paint, lawn, and VIP toilets.

The sponsor of the show, an information technology mogul in South Africa, Justice Maphosa said the show was his a�?thank youa�? token to where he grew up.

a�?The show is a way of giving back to the Gwanda community. This year we have painted the stadium, built VIP toilets and we are reviving the infrastructure to ensure that the stadium meets the standard of the show as well,a�? said Maphosa.

Maphosa, who runs a conglomerate of IT companies in South Africa valued at five billion rand, added that the gospel festival would create employment in the town which relies largely on gold mining.

a�?Gwanda is dead, besides gold panning activities there is no other industry to keep people employed. As a result such a show revives the town in many ways, apart from going to bars, people dona��t have any have other means of entertaining themselves, the show will change that,a�? he said.

Maphosa said he was disappointed by the level of support he was getting from his own people, encouraging them to come in numbers for the show.

a�?I am angry at the Gwanda community, especially when it comes to supporting the whole cause of the gospel show.

Nevertheless, I have not given up. We are looking forward to host the second festival and ita��s going to be even greater than the previous one,a�? he said.

In a bid to avoid hassles that the organisers of the gospel show faced last year they have roped in Zimbabwe Tourism Authority.