Eddie Chikamhi
Senior Sports Reporter
THE Confederation of African Football have made extensive recommendations for Rufaro, which has been closed for the past four years, due to its state of disrepair.
Former mayor of Harare Jacob Mafume revealed at the handover takeover with his successor Ian Makone at Rufaro yesterday that the CAF inspection team was concerned with areas such as the tunnel used by the players, the changing rooms, the toilets, the lack of bucket seats and electronic turnstiles among a catalogue of areas of improvement.
“We understand CAF came to inspect. They gave us recommendations, which recommendations we are going to implement – recommendations around the tunnel, the changing rooms, recommendations around a number of toilets in the players’ changing rooms, recommendations around the seats and recommendations around a few other areas that they want us to improve,” said Mafume.
“So we are going to do that. We had a meeting with the ZIFA Normalisation Committee led by Lincoln Mutasa. They also gave us what they want improved.
“We had meetings with Dynamos and CAPS United executives and we have an indication as to what their requirements are and the nature of the right of use that they require.
“They both coincidentally asked for 10 years’ use, paying rentals and so forth,” said Mafume.
The ground, which was closed in 2019 after years of deterioration, has been undergoing renovations from March this year. A CAF stadium Inspector Joshua Knipp was in the country recently to inspect the National Sports Stadium and Rufaro Stadium and made the recommendations.
Knipp, who was accompanied by members of the FIFA appointed Normalisation Committee Sikhumbuzo Ndebele, Rosemary Mugadza and the FIFA Forward Manager Kudzai Chitima, inspected the two sporting facilities and a report was produced.
New Harare mayor Makone said they are hoping to complete the renovations in the next three months as they have put Rufaro on their 100-days programme.