Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume says he will take less than four months to renovate Gwanzura stadium in Highfields, Harare.
Mafume is currently boasting of bringing football back to Rufaro stadium after nearly five years.
Although ZIFA’s First Instance Board have homologated the facility to host topflight league games, there is still a need for new turnstiles, electronic screens, media box and tunnel widening.
In an interview, Mafume said he is now shifting focus to Gwanzura stadium.
“Gwanzura we are not going to take more than four months, we are already working and as you know it’s a smaller stadium.
“We will build new changing rooms and the other changing rooms will be public toilets.
“Once we do that we will then extend the stands and put some plastic chairs.
“All this will be done in a quicker time, with the lessons learnt from Rufaro and also with people understanding what I’m trying to do, they will be less resistance,” he said.
Rufaro Stadium is the only facility eligible to host topflight league games in Harare at the present moment, although there is hope that Prophet Walter Magaya’s Heart Stadium might be ready next month.
The majority of sports infrastructure owned by Harare City Council has been dilapidated, amongst those is the City Sports Centre which used to host basketball league games, Dzivarasekwa Stadium, Mabvuku grounds and others.
However, Mafume gave assurance that all these facilities will be brought back to life.
He added, “We are going to ring-fence the revenues from Rufaro and channel them towards other facilities like Gwanzura, Dzivarasekwa and others that need attention.
“In theory, we are going to have four stadiums in Harare that will be able to host topflight league football and they will be used interchangeably.” — NewZimbabwe
