The ManicaPost
Ray Bande Senior Sports Reporter
SAKUBVA Stadium renovations —which started amid huge expectations in 2018 of attracting sponsorship from Chiadzwa diamond mining activities — is set to chew into the 2019 budget as an overwhelmed Mutare City Council goes it alone.
Construction works have dragged longer than projected and Sakubva Stadium remains closed since early 2018.
Initially, Mutare City Council had intended to complete renovations by the end of October 2018.
However, slow pace of works exacerbated by limited human and material resources, derailed progress.
Mutare Mayor Blessing Tandi told the Post Sport that the current price distortions have worsened the situation.
He said the precast wall construction should be completed end of February 2019.
“The completion of the renovations work was part of our 100 day plan. We had plans to finish renovations earlier, but failed to meet the deadlines due to a number of challenges, including, but not limited to the prevailing price madness.
“We are not looking back; we are forging ahead with the little that is at our disposal.
‘‘Initially the budget was around $300 000, has since ballooned to around $700 000. With the little resources at council’s disposal, we hope to complete the project by end of February.
“It is important to note that the project is now chewing into the 2019 budget since we could not conclude it in 2018,” said Tandi.
Since the beginning of the Chiadzwa diamond mining, the Mutare football fraternity had always hoped the mining companies will advance sponsorship towards the transformation of Sakubva Stadium into a world-class soccer cathedral.
Tandi said they have not received any financial or material support, so far, in that regard.
“It is true that we had high expectations that those involved in the Chiadzwa diamond mining would channel small part of their proceeds towards renovations of Sakubva Stadium, especially within the current context of devolution and also considering that their own football club — Manica Diamonds — has gained Premiership promotion for 2019.
James Lunga Meya
“The only support we got from them (ZCDC) was towards resuscitation of structures at the adjacent Sakubva vegetable market,” said Tandi.
Given the Zifa congress decision to stick to the traditional season calendar, Sakubva Stadium will have to be ready for Premiership football by end of February for the ZCDC-bankrolled Manica Diamonds to use it as its home ground.
Repeated efforts to get a comment from ZCDC were fruitless.
However, the sorry state of affairs at the stadium has not escaped the attention of South African based construction magnate James Lunga Meya, who accused the city council of sitting on their proposal to renovate the stadium.
Meya, who has donated to Mutare football clubs and individual players in the past, traces his roots to Sakubva where he started a promising football career that earned him the nickname Hwetu before it prematurely ends due to injury.
“My heart bleeds when I look at the state of affairs of sporting facilities in Mutare. The Sports Oval used to be every young player’s dream to showcase their skill while Sakubva Stadium was the ‘theatre of dreams’ for us as young boys.
“Sadly, they are all in a dilapidated state. Through our construction company, we made submissions to Mutare City Council, four years ago with respect to renovations at Sakubva Stadium, but up until this day we have not had any response. “It is high time the local authority explores every other avenue that can help the situation, and that entails consulting widely and engaging those with the city at heart,” said Meya.
The construction company — Nabster Trading and Projects Pvt Ltd — whose directors include Warriors team manager Wellington Mpandare and Tonderai Chigumundu — made submissions to Mutare City Council in 2014.
The construction of the precast wall, the only significant piece of work being undertaken at the sports facility, has taken a year to hit the 75 percent mark.
The changing rooms, perimeter fence, turf as well as the VIP section, are some of the key areas that also need attention.
