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Ricky Zililo Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO’S acute water shortage has affected the city’s stadia with the ceremonial home of soccer Barbourfields Stadium set to play host to at least nine competitive matches within a month.At the beginning of the year, Bulawayo’s facilities which were used for Premier Soccer League matches were Barbourfields, Luveve and White City.
White City fell by the wayside after PSL condemned the stadium after the opening round due to the poor state of the playing pitch and other areas leaving only Barbourfields and Luveve available.
Bulawayo soccer giants Highlanders have been using Barbourfields with Chicken Inn and How Mine sharing Luveve Stadium. Bulawayo City Council charges $600 for Luveve Stadium and $2 500 for Barbourfields or 20 percent which ever is greater for hire.
Despite the exorbitant charges that the council charges for Barbourfields, Highlanders have continued to use their favourite fortress with other teams preferring Luveve.
Last weekend, Premiership matches involving Chicken Inn and How Mine had to be moved to Barbourfields Stadium following communication that there was no water at Luveve.
According to officials from Chicken Inn and How Mine who are regular users of Luveve Stadium, the state of the playing pitch at the venue had become deplorable posing a danger to the players as the lawn had gone for some time without being watered.
Announcing change of venues for the Chicken Inn/Hwange game and How Mine/Harare City outing, the Castle Lager Premiership chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele said water problems were the reason for the change.
“We have been advised that there is no water at Luveve Stadium and that is why we are moving the Chicken Inn/Hwange and How Mine/Harare City matches to Barbourfields Stadium,” Ndebele said.
Chicken Inn went on to lose 1-2 to the coalminers on Saturday with How Mine going down 0-1 to Harare City on Sunday.
A Zifa official said Luveve Stadium was the most hit of the three.
“The state of Luveve Stadium is appalling because we discovered it two weeks ago when we were having a tour of facilities in preparation for next year’s Zone Six games. Termites are having a field day on the dry patches of the turf. It shows that it has been a while since the facility was watered,” said the Zifa official.
This is not the first time that Bulawayo stadia have faced water challenges. Last year the matter was noted in one of the council meetings.
The stadia fall under the housing and community services department.
“Weeding had continued at White City Stadium and lawn patching had been suspended due to shortage of water. Barbourfields Stadium had continued facing serious water challenges despite efforts to supplement by water bowsers. No permanent solution was in sight in the near future to solve the water crisis at the stadium.
All auxiliary grounds were in good shape in the western areas: White City and Luveve stadia needed touch-ups in preparation for the start of the season,” read the environmental management and engineering services committee report.
Barbourfields Stadium has two boreholes and the one at White City was only serviced after the PSL had condemned the venue. It is an open secret that Bulawayo faces water challenges and according to information released at the beginning of the month, the city’s six dams are 41 percent full with the bulk water being held at Insiza and Mtshabezi Dam.
Two dams, Inyankuni and Upper Ncema have already been decommissioned. All the water supply dams are situated in Matabeleland South Province which has been receiving reduced rainfall in the past years.
Repeated efforts to get comment from the BCC by end of day yesterday on the challenges they are facing in maintaining Luveve Stadium were fruitless as they had not responded to questions that were sent to them last Friday.
Online Reporter