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.
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