CCC led council sabotaging Rufaro stadium refurbishment
Pretty Manyewe
The City of Harare has decided to let Harare ratepayers down for the upteenth time.
A few months ago, Petroleum giant Sakunda pledged to refurbish Rufaro stadium, which can be classified as the country’s most popular sports venue.
However, the deal hangs in the balance as Sakunda are preparing to send their money elsewhere.
According to Sakunda Holdings Chief Operating Office, Mberikwazvo Chitambo, the city Council attitude and lack of political will to implement the project has caused Sakunda to with draw its participation in the project.
In a letter sent to Jacob Mafume, Sakunda wrote;
“Given the toxicity we have now seen in the Council’s attitude and a alack of political will to implement the project on the part of Council, Sakunda hereby withdraws its participation from the project. Not withstanding all project designs and plans will be donated to Council in public interest.”
This all comes after the City Council and Sakunda had signed a memorandum to give Rufaro Stadium a massive face lift that would benefit many in Mbare. The two parties had conducted one of the initial tasks of conducting research and bench-marking a stadium design for the refurbishment of Rufaro Stadium.
The project management team further visited stadiums in South Africa and engaged experts and suppliers who were involved in these projects in order to enable them to get a firmer grasp of the task ahead
However, all this has come to dust as City Council officials were now claiming Sakunda’s plan to refurbish the stadium was in bid to take over the Stadium.
‘”Following our numerous requests to present to your office our final feasibility study report and proposed designs for the refurbishment of Rufaro Stadium, we write to express our gravest misgivings on the unfortunate events and communications emanating from your office. We are shocked and disturbed by the untruthful and malicious allegations that Sakunda intends to purchase Rufaro Stadium, which is a public asset. Nothing could be further from the truth, and we believe you know that,” said Chitambo.
Sakunda are arguing that the unfounded allegations are part of a coordinated attempt to derail the agreement.
“We wish to place it on record that Sakunda did not have any commercial interest in this project suffice to say that our participation in the same was entirely philanthropic, for the public good. Consequently, we would like to hereby notify you of our immediate withdrawal from this partnership,” Chitambo said.
The deal was set to benefit Zimbabwe’s football community which is desperately yearning for a modern stadium.
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