Anesushe Mamhute
Chiredzi Town Council has been criticised for neglecting Tshovani Stadium despite receiving Constituency Development Funding (CDF) resources to help rehabilitate the stadium.
When he was still Member of Parliament (MP) for Chiredzi West, Farai Musikavanhu used some money he received from parliament through CDF to purchase irrigation equipment for the stadium.
To date, the equipment has not been installed, with the pitch and the arena of the stadium having now fallen into total disrepair.
If rehabilitated, the stadium could be used as the home ground for local football teams including Chiredzi Stars, Low Veld Pirates, Green Fuel and Triangle FC.
To attend the team’s home matches, many supporters of Chiredzi Stars FC walk to Chishamiso Stadium in Hippo Valley Estates, some 8km away.
Division 1 side Chiredzi Stars chairperson Patrick Madzima said rental and transport costs of using Chisamiso Stadium was weighing down on the team.
“We have to travel that far for training almost on a daily basis, and we have to pay rent. It’s not a good situation even for our supporters who have to walk that distance,” said Madzima.
Football supporter Prince Ziweya said he wished politicians would right now show similar interest in Tshovani Stadium as they tend do during elections.
“They promise a lot during election campaigns but the interest quickly fades in the aftermath. It’s sad because young people do not have any recreational facilities in this town, and Tshovani Stadium has been left to fall apart,” said Ziweya.
Responding to questions sent to him by EnviroPress, Musikavanhu said he was disappointed that the council had let down his own efforts.
“I directed a share of the CDF allocation funds to the stadium because I understood the importance of sports in our town and our district. It’s unfortunate that no progress has been made. I think all councilors, previous and current, as well as the council management, should be held accountable for that,” said Musikavanhu.
Chiredzi Town Council spokesperson Kudzai Chimusoro professed ignorance on the matter, saying it could be due to the fact that she had not yet joined the council by that time. She however promised to try and gather the details from her bosses.
When contacted for comment, Chiredzi Central MP Ropafadzo Makumire expressed disappointment at the current state of the stadium, saying the local authority should urgently move to rehabilitate it.
“Council needs to expedite the rehabilitation and provide the people of Chiredzi with quality recreational spaces. It is also important for businesses and individuals to contribute resources to start the work. The stadium would serve as a lucrative source of revenue for the local authority,” said Makumire.
