Online Reporter
Curtworth Masango-Zimpapers Sports Hub
HARARE Mayor Jacob Mafume says Rufaro’s transformation is far from complete with authorities set to install floodlights, bucket seats and modernise key facilities.
The stadium is currently home for Premier Soccer League clubs CAPS United, Dynamos, Scottland and Herentals.
Hunters also used the venue before relocating to Heart Stadium.
Mafume said the turf has exceeded expectations. “It is and it remains work in progress. As you know, we had to revamp the stadium after it had not been in use for a long time,” Mafume said.
“We concentrated on the playing area first.
“The lawn is now lush and the turf has withstood the number of games that have been played there. We have had as many as six games in one week, including midweek fixtures, and the pitch has remained in good condition.”
The mayor revealed that the next phase of development will focus on improving the spectator experience, with floodlights among the immediate priorities.
“Very soon we are going to introduce night games because some matches start too early before people have finished work. We will install floodlights so that games can kick off around five o’clock and continue into the night,” he said.
Mafume added that the city has already completed the tender process for the installation of bucket seats across the remaining sections of the stadium.
“We’ve already done the tender for the bucket seats for the rest of the ground.
“We will also do the lights and the covers before moving to the expansion of the stadium itself.”
He said further upgrades would include constructing a players’ tunnel and refurbishing the dugouts in consultation with clubs that regularly use the venue.
“Very soon, we are going to have the tunnel done and the dugouts re-looked at together with the teams that use the stadium.”
Mafume believes Rufaro’s revival has restored the stadium’s place at the heart of Zimbabwean football, attracting growing crowds and rekindling supporters’ passion for the local game.
“Despite the initial fears, it has become a carnival atmosphere. People are coming back to the stadium, families are coming, and people are finding love again at sports grounds.“It should be a place of entertainment, a place of pleasure and a place of employment for young people. “We are now seeing players who could have been in the South African Premier League choosing to play here in Zimbabwe and becoming household names.”
Does Mafume know that Rufaro Stadium has been structurally condemned by reputable civil engineers? Is he waiting for a disaster to happen so that he can come out of his slumber? Recommendations from structural engineers is for a new stadium to be built. Rufaro is over 60 years old.