admin
Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
VICE PRESIDENT Kembo Mohadi yesterday called for closer cooperation between municipal councils and central Government in the provision and resuscitation of sports facilities across the country.
The sports sector is currently facing a crisis over the deteriorating standards of facilities as the local councils that run them are struggling to sustain them.
Vice President Mohadi, who also superintends over the social cluster Ministries in Government (which includes sports), yesterday had a first-hand appreciation of the state of some of the country’s major facilities after embarking on an assessment tour of the National Sports Stadium, Magamba Hockey Stadium and Rufaro Stadium in Harare.
He was particularly touched by the state of the National Sports Stadium which is presently suspended by FIFA and the Confederation of African Football from hosting international matches, as well as Magamba Hockey Stadium, which lies in a state of ruin.
Vice President Mohadi, who was then Deputy Minister of Sport when the hockey facility was built ahead of the 1995 All Africa Games, was taken aback a bit by the dilapidation and promised Government’s intervention.
He revealed Government was also greatly concerned with the embarrassment of the Zimbabwe senior men’s football team having to play their 2026 World Cup qualifying home games on foreign soil as none of the country’s stadiums met the minimum standards required by both CAF and FIFA.
Vice President Mohadi told invited guests at the conclusion of the tour yesterday that Government was putting in place financial and technical support to assist in the renovations currently taking place at the National Sports Stadium, Rufaro Stadium and at Magamba Hockey Stadium, which is set to be transformed into a multi-discipline facility.
The Warriors plight has been brought to his attention as the Zimbabwe men’s football team is currently preparing to travel to South Africa to host Lesotho at Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg. The team has been deprived of home advantage as they previously hosted Nigeria in Rwanda late last year.
“To us that is not a good thing, it doesn’t bode well with us.
“Through the Ministry of Sport, I have given a directive that we need to resuscitate and equally revamp our sporting facilities. I remember at one time the sporting facilities were so good that we even managed to host the All-Africa Games in 1995.
“We also built Magamba and the Aquatic Centre in Chitungwiza and Khumalo Hockey Stadium in Bulawayo that year. Now Zimbabwe, as one of the most elite nations to be disqualified (by CAF and FIFA) and to find that other countries that are least elite qualify, is an egg on our face.
“It is sort of embarrassing to learn that we have been disqualified because we don’t have the bucket seats, something that doesn’t cost quite a lot. Probably we don’t want to do it because we are Zimbabweans, then we had to earn this embarrassment both regionally and internationally,” said Vice President Mohadi.
The Vice President was hosted during the tour of the facilities by Acting Minister of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Dr Jenfan Muswere, and the Deputy Minister of Sport Emily Jesaya.
He was taken around the National Sports Stadium by the acting chief director in the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Eugenia Chidhakwa.
The touring party inspected the changing rooms, the pitch, the shower areas, CCTV system, water reticulation and ablution facilities at the National Sports Stadium. From there, they moved to the adjacent Magamba Hockey Stadium.
The touring party was then welcomed at Rufaro for the last leg of the tour by Mayor Jacob Mafume, who explained the progress that had been made at the venue in the last two years.
“We want to improve the facilities and we will be doing so with whatever limited resources we have; we are definitely going to improve the facilities where sport is played. I have gone around; I have seen what I have seen and I am going to see to it that whatever was lagging is done,” said Vice President Mohadi.
“So, we have taken it upon ourselves that we need to correct that and in correcting that I would like to thank the City of Harare through His Worship the Mayor Councillor Mafume for the strides they have taken to spruce up and modernise Rufaro.
“They managed to meet some of the requirements that were required of by CAF and FIFA and he was informing me that Rufaro is now hosting league matches which is sweet music to my ears.”
“Together we have got to do it, to create sporting facilities that meet international standards. It will be good for us and maybe happy moments for us when we will eventually host international tournaments on our soil.”
The Vice President said unity was key in developmental projects which benefits the country. Previously, Harare City Council had appeared adamant to undertake the renovations at Rufaro on their own, without central Government’s involvement. But Government has since reprimanded them and urged them to reach out for assistance.
“So, we need together, council and ourselves as central Government, to spruce up our sporting facilities to a standard whereby we qualify to host CAF and FIFA tournaments.
“Sport is not just a recreational thing, it is a discipline, it can be a career. There are many people that you know that have taken sport as a career and have done well in their lives.
“So, we have got our children some of whom are gifted in sport and if we don’t have the requisite sporting facilities, that will be doing them a disservice. We need to have state-of-the-art sporting facilities in this country because we can actually do so.
“I’m saying so because in 1995 when we won the bid to host the All-Africa Games, sporting facilities around that you know of, were done within a very short space of time,” said Vice-President Mohadi.
With regards to the National Sports Stadium and Rufaro Stadium, which have been condemned by FIFA and CAF due to lack of bucket seats among other things, Vice President Mohadi said Government will attend to the outstanding issues.
“There is not much that needs to be done. The scope of work that has been availed to me for both the National Sports Stadium and Rufaro is not insurmountable.
“We can do that if we tell ourselves to do it. Sport is one of the pillars towards then attainment of Vision 2030. It has got a contributory role towards that and we therefore as a nation, regardless of your political persuasions or affiliation, when the country does good we all get proud, it doesn’t matter who did it – whether it’s CCC, MDC, ZANU PF, that doesn’t matter. What matters is the service to the people of Zimbabwe.
“We are here to serve the people of Zimbabwe and the people of Zimbabwe expect a lot from us and let’s not disappoint them by not giving them that service they require of us.
“Zimbabwe belongs to us all and Zimbabwe shall remain. When all of us will have gone, Zimbabwe will remain. So, don’t do your country a disservice because of some persuasion that is not going to last forever,” said Vice President Mohadi.
“Above all, for Zimbabwe to develop, there must be unity. We must be united in thought and in deed because if we are united the result is that of peace. And when we are united and being a peaceful nation, definitely development will follow.
“So, I urge you Zimbabwe, with all your divergent political persuasions to unite and be peaceful so that we can foster development. Zimbabwe needs you. No single one person can develop this Zimbabwe without the other. So stand up and shun divisions in the society of Zimbabwe,” he added.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter