Eddie Chikamhi–Senior Sports Reporter
GOVERNMENT has pledged renewed financial and technical support towards the refurbishment and sprucing up of sports facilities in the country so that Zimbabwe will be able to host international events.
The Presidium, represented by Vice President Kembo Mohadi and his entourage, had a first-hand appreciation of the state of some of the country’s major facilities.
They went on an assessment tour of the National Sports Stadium, Magamba Hockey Stadium and Rufaro in Harare.
The touring party was hosted by Acting Minister of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture Dr Jenfan Muswere and the Deputy Minister of Sport, Emily Jesaya.
The Vice President was taken around the National Sports Stadium by the Acting Chief Director in the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Eugenia Chidhakwa.
They inspected the changing rooms, the pitch, the shower areas, CCTV system, water reticulation and ablution facilities.
From there, they moved to Magamba Hockey Stadium, which is in a state of disrepair.
Vice President Mohadi, who was then Deputy Minister of Sport when the facility was built ahead of the 1995 All Africa Games, was touched by the state of the stadium and promised Government’s intervention.
The touring party was welcomed at Rufaro by Mayor Jacob Mafume, who explained the progress that has been made at the venue in the last two years.
Dr Muswere said the tour was key in crafting the way forward.
“The tour led by the Hounourable Vice President Cde KCD Mohadi started at the National Sports Stadium to establish and also to do an assessment in terms of the progress that has been achieved, in terms of the national standardisation, CAF and FIFA standardisation and also in terms of the regularisation.
“So, we started with the National Sports Stadium. The assessment included the media centres established there, the infrastructure, the water reticulation and also the developments in terms of the CCTV systems, the verification in terms of the progress in terms of the 100-day cycles that were submitted by the Ministry of Sport.
“Then we moved to the Magamba Stadium and lastly to Rufaro Stadium where we were accompanied also by the Mayor of the Metropolitan province of Harare Councillor Jacob Mafume.
“We managed to do another assessment led by the Vice President – the changing rooms, the facilities, the turf, the stadium, the outstanding issues including the financial obligations which the City of Harare managed also to be in a position to ask for financial and technical assistance in order for us as government, working together with the City of Harare, to be able to finalise all the infrastructure requirements in terms of rules, regulations and standards.
“So, this is more about the sports-related facilities, which also dovetail with the National Development Strategy 1 which recognises the importance of sports and also the importance and promotion of sports facilities and the importance of nurturing talent as they participate in the National Development Strategy 1 in terms of Vision 2023.
““This also underlines the importance of infrastructure to host local and regional sports disciplines across the country.
“So, this is part of the sports infrastructure that the Honourable Vice President toured and is impressed by the progress achieved but now we are focusing on ramping up the progress acceleration,” said Dr Muswere.