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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
REVAMPING the iconic home of football, Rufaro Stadium took a knock yesterday when energy company Sakunda Holdings withdrew from the project.
In a letter dated November 7, 2022, addressed to City of Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume that was delivered to the Chamber Secretary’s department on Monday, Sakunda notified the local authority that they were withdrawing from the multi-million dollar project.
Sakunda, who signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the City of Harare at the beginning of the year had covered ground towards refurbishing Rufaro and turning it into a state-of-the-art facility that meets world standards.
According to the artistic impressions, besides work on the stadium, Sakunda were going to convert nearby hostels to schools, build more fields outside the stadium, a hospital as well as a stadium retail, giving Rufaro a world class look.
At a time when Zimbabwe doesn’t have a stadium that meets requirements to stage international games, Sakunda had offered as part of their corporate responsibility programmes to spruce Rufaro which has a huge history in as far as Zimbabwean football and Independence are concerned.
A number of local football icons had a dance at the stadium which played host to Zimbabwe’s first Independence celebrations on April 18, 1980.
Hopes were high that Rufaro, which is home to Dynamos who are sponsored by Sakunda would soon return to host the giants who have been playing their games at the National Sports Stadium.
In their letter to the local authority, Sakunda said the toxicity seen in council’s attitude, who showed lack of will to implement the project has forced them to withdraw from the venture that would have seen the facility getting a major uplift.
They cited that repeated efforts to submit the feasibility study and proposed designs for the refurbishment of Rufaro Stadium to the council hit a brick wall.
Also frustrating Sakunda out of the deal to make Rufaro Stadium an international facility were false reports that the giant energy company which has been involved in a number of corporate social responsibility programmes intended buying the ceremonial home of soccer.
Sakunda, who took a team of officials to South Africa where they engaged suppliers and experts in order to get a firm grasp of the project said they are donating all project designs and plans to the council in the public interest. — @ZililoR
Online Reporter