The 2024 Defence Forces Day celebrations will be held at Rufaro Stadium in Mbare, marking a departure from the event’s traditional venue at the National Sports Stadium.
The location change comes as the National Sports Stadium, a 60,000-seater facility, has been out of use since September 2023, when it hosted President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s inauguration ceremony.
The iconic stadium is currently undergoing renovations to bring it up to the standards required by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to host international football matches.
However, the renovations have faced delays due to a lack of funding from the Treasury. In May 2024, the Minister of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Kirsty Coventry, told parliament that funds had not been released to complete the upgrades.
During the post-Cabinet media briefing in Harare on Tuesday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Jenfan Muswere announced that this year’s Defence Forces Day commemoration will take place on August 13. He said:
he Defence Forces Day will be celebrated on the 13th of August at Rufaro Stadium in Harare under the theme, “Guaranteeing A Conducive Environment For Attainment Of Vision 2030”.
More: Pindula News