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Maria Chiguvari
HARARE Mayor Jacob Mafume says the first steps towards transforming Rufaro Stadium into a community centre with more services than just football matches, have been taken.
A restaurant, the first to be opened at Rufaro, opened its doors to the public yesterday.
Mayor Mafume said:
“My desire is that we need to make this a multiplex, bring about a sense of community ownership.
“People must understand that the stadium is the life of this part of Mbare and they are the life of the stadium.
“It will have a shopping centre, it will have a hotel, it will have small-to-medium shops, it will have a beer garden.
“It will be a sports village and that will make people endear themselves to the stadium and also take care of it lovingly as it were.
“So, we believe that it will then give an example of the urban renewal that we can do from suburb to suburb and area to area.”
He added:
“The motivation to renew this ground, it is a very historical ground. People must take note, this is the ground where our soccer history is embedded, from the days of George Shaya right up to the modern day’s heroes, Khama Billiat, and the rest of them.
“This is what makes the city famous, not only that, it is where we got our Independence.
“This is where big weddings were held. This is where Bob Marley played.
“This was the place where Zimbabwe’s history was shaped and marked. And, therefore, we have to preserve it, if not make it better,”
The mayor said he wants to build a culture of sport in Harare.
Online Reporter