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Football Stakeholders Criticise Council Over Rufaro Stadium Deal Collapse

2 years agoSun, 20 Nov 2022 09:55:56 GMT

Football Stakeholders Criticise Council Over Rufaro Stadium Deal Collapse

Football stakeholders have criticised the opposition-dominated City of Harare for “dragging politics into sport” after Sakunda Holdings, a company owned by a ZANU PF benefactor Kuda Tagwirei, formally withdrew its proposal to upgrade Rufaro Stadium, the so-called ceremonial home of football.

Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) interim president Gift Banda, who is coincidentally a former deputy mayor of the City of Bulawayo, accused the Harare City Council of letting politics get in the way of football. Said, Banda:

What Sakunda had done was the right way. There is nothing political in sport. Politics should not be dragged into sport and football in particular.

Sakunda would have helped us to get Rufaro to become a CAF and FIFA-accepted stadium. “In any case, how much revenue is Harare City making at the moment from that stadium vis-à-vis what they are spending on maintenance?
City of Harare was supposed to try and assist in coming up with a solid contract that was beneficial to everyone and not close out a corporate that is trying to assist.
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Rufaro has been condemned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the stadium last hosted Premiership matches in 2019.

Premier Soccer League (PSL) chairperson Farai Jere argued that the refurbishment of Rufaro Stadium would have benefited local football in the long run. He said:

This was a very important investment in football and it was going to benefit generations to come, and this is something we need to look at from that perspective.

Northern Region Soccer League (NRSL) Division One chairperson Martin Kweza also expressed disappointment over Sakunda’s withdrawal from the partnership with Harare City Council. Said Kweza:

I am heartbroken, to say the least. I was already envisaging a new Rufaro in the mould of FNB Stadium (South Africa’s World Cup stadium) on completion.
I could see the appetite of football people to come back to the home of football, particularly when we hosted the Axis Super 8 cup final.
A refurbished Rufaro was going to bring a new dawn for Zimbabwean football, and now this?
I sincerely hope the two parties will find each other and resolve the issues currently obtaining for the sake of Rufaro Stadium, the rich history that it carries and soccer-loving Zimbabweans.

Sakunda cited “toxicity” in Harare City Council’s attitude as the reason for walking away from the deal. | The Sunday Mail

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8 Comments

uGatsheni boya beNyathi · 2 years ago

Sakunda was about to give the a portion of what he stole from Zimbabweans mafume should have allowed the guy to carry on with the project but with a stringent conditions. as it is now the council is getting nothing from the vendors and the vapostori around the stadium

Sir African · 2 years ago

Don't involve us in your squabbles with City Of Harare. We all know it is Zanu Pf that's crying out loud in order to get sympathy from football fans.

Cde hondo · 2 years ago

Thanks mayor and your team at townhouse. How do you justify a 30 year lease for installing bucket seats is this not corruption Banda shut up you are a recipient of political interference in sport. Sakunda build your own stadium like what fnb did in SA not what you wanted to do at rufaro. Its a community owned stadium no change in ownership

Anonymous · 2 years ago

Sakunda holdings is a scum.

biden · 2 years ago

What about bulawayo stadiums or national sports stadium, are they any better, instead of leasing sakunda should go for naming rights like the he norm in other countries

Vesto · 2 years ago

With all due respect to other stakeholders, for Sakunda to demand a 30-40 year lease on Rufaro Stadium in exchange for installing plastic chairs is the height of economic opportunism. Mayor Mafume is within his rights. The basic infrastructure at Rufaro is already in existence. Plastic seats can be installed at a fraction of a year's rental for the stadium. Tagwireyi is used to amassing wealth through corrupt deals. 40 years for plastic seats is almost like Pomona Moyo Dumpsite deal. NO TO CORRUPT OPPORTUNISM

Anonymous · 2 years ago

Thank you Vesto for putting us in the picture Politicians always want to mislead vanhu vasingatsvaki information to gain mileage Tinovaziva vanaTagwirei ava They have been milking this country for too long They must be exposed and people should be told that these guys are not this for serving the community.... State capture!!!!

Anonymous · 2 years ago

Gift Banda is wrong to insinuate that "There is nothing political in sport". Zim's soccer is political, even Fifa knows that. Zanu Pf destroyed our local football. Tagwirei's is one of Zanu Pf family, automatically that makes him a part to those who grounded the game.