adminSikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
THE government has awarded tenders to successful bidders to renovate various identified sites for the upcoming African Union Region Five Under-20 Games which will be held in Bulawayo in December.The process has seen renovations start at Hillside Teachers’ College which has been turned into the Games Village instead of the previously agreed National University of Science and Technology (Nust).
However, hostels will still be built at Nust as part of the legacy gains from the Games.
The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Andrew Langa has always maintained that Zimbabwe and Bulawayo in particular, would host a very successful Games.
Speaking to Chronicle Sport yesterday, Minister Langa said he was satisfied with the preparations so far.
“Tenders have been awarded to successful bidders and work is already under way at Hillside Teachers’ College. Other sites will follow suit. We are busy working around the clock and as it is, I am happy to announce that treasury has agreed to give us $14 million of which $2.5 million is already in our bank account,” said Minister Langa.
Today, he will hold a meeting in Bulawayo with the regional organising committee, whose chief executive officer is Mvuzo Mbebe.
Golfer Henry Manzungu is the local organising committee chief executive officer and has been based in Bulawayo since last year.
“It’s a review meeting where we will be checking the progress,” said Minister Langa.
The Zone Six Games were inaugurated in 2004 in Mozambique following a Council of Ministers of the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa (SCSA) Zone VI meeting held in 1997 in Cabinda, Angola. On September, 7, 1999 during a special meeting of the Zone Six Supreme Council for Sport in Africa in Johannesburg, it was agreed that the Games be held bi–annually on a compulsory and rotational basis by the member states.
The Games have since been organised and hosted by Mozambique 2004, Namibia 2006, South Africa 2008, Swaziland 2010 and Zambia played host to the fifth edition in 2012.
The aim of the event is to use sports to achieve peace, integration and unity in Africa and sport as a vehicle for encouraging people to develop and come together irrespective of colour, economic status, political inclination, class or gender.
The Games bring together different people from all over Southern Africa, who not only compete for medals but build lasting friendships, during and after the Games.
The event promotes inter-cultural dialogue among the participating countries.
Sport has the power to unite people and knows no language, culture or race. It speaks to youth and can create hope.
It is powerful in breaking down racial barriers.
The competition is expected to be stiffer this year after five more countries joined the zone, namely Uganda, Kenya, Mauritius, Madagascar and Tanzania.
Seven venues around the city have been identified for use during the Games .
Bulawayo Athletic Club will be used for tennis, White City Stadium for athletics, soccer and netball, City Pool, Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Halls for basketball, judo and boxing.
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