Plans to build hostels at Nust still on

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
HIGHER and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Minister Olivia Muchena has refuted reports that plans have been shelved to build accommodation facilities for the African Union Sports Council Region Five Under-20 Games athletes and officials at the National University of Science and Technology.
There have been reports that those plans have been shelved with another higher learning institution in Bulawayo, Hillside Teachers’ College, now going to be used for accommodation.

This was amid an outcry from locals and other civic groups who saw the construction of accommodation at Nust as an opportunity to ease accommodation problems for the students once the Games are over.

The concerns heightened after the chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture, Temba Mliswa, questioned the wisdom of bringing the event to the City of Kings and Queens when Harare had existing and better facilities.

Promptly responding to a question during a press conference after she, the Senior Minister in the President’s Office, Simon Khaya-Moyo, Deputy Ministers Tabitha Kanengoni-Malinga (Sports, Arts and Culture), Walter Kanhanga (Tourism and Hospitality Industry), senior government officials and members of the local organising committee had just toured one of the Games’ venues, Barbourfields Stadium, Muchena said it was not true that plans had been shelved.

“Let me quickly say something here, the Nust chapter has not been closed, not at all,” said Minister Muchena.
General manager of the African Union Region Five, Stanley Mutoya, also reiterated that no previous plans had been shelved, although admitting that progress had been a little bit behind, largely due to issues to do with logos and other logistics.

“We are behind, yes in other areas but not far off,” said Mutoya before adding that the December 4-14 Games’s standards had to be elevated to even higher than the previous five editions.

He said besides Nust, the athletics track at White City Stadium would have its lanes increased from the present six to the international standard of eight.
Mutoya said very soon, there would be visible signs that the Games are coming to Bulawayo with billboards on all major entry points to the city before also challenging the media to play its role in marketing the Games to the Bulawayo public.

“We remain confident, and I want to say this now that Zimbabwe will host successful Games and is well on course to achieving that,” said Mutoya.