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Harare Derby match at Rufaro: A dream that was nev...

Harare Derby match at Rufaro: A dream that was never going to happen

Philemon Jambaya

When Isaac was dying, Jacob, with Rebekah’s help, cheated Esau out of his father’s blessing. Esau would have killed Jacob, but Jacob fled; when he returned 20 years later, Esau forgave him. The story reflects the relationship of Israel and Edom.

This is the same story which happened to football lovers in Harare who had an opportunity to return to the home of ceremonial football - Rufaro Stadium - snatched from them when Sakunda Holdings’ plans to rehabilitate the stadium were quite advanced.

 Harare Mayor, Jacob Mafume has been widely accused of denying football fans the Rufaro experience and the usually electric atmosphere in the 30 000-seater facility.

For years, Rufaro Stadium has been home to Dynamos before the City of Harare slipped up in its maintenance, leading to untold dilapidation.

Sakunda Holdings withdrew from the proposed renovations of Rufaro Stadium on the strength of the long-term lease contract from the stadium owners, Harare City Council, in March.

The planned renovation included installing bucket seats, refurbishing the sewer and water reticulation systems as well as constructing of a road to the football match venue.

Sakunda accused the City of Harare of reneging on the signed Memorandum of Understanding they had reached.

After the deal collapsed, Mafume told journalists that council had the money to renovate the stadium and football lovers were going to throng the Stadium on Match Day 7 to watch the Harare Derby.

“The money is there. We are having people swimming in Mbare, people are swimming in Mbare and people will be playing football in Rufaro Stadium, the money is there,” he said.

“Football will be played in Rufaro Stadium, and it will be played in a world class stadium if it is the last thing that we do.

“We will restore the sporting facilities. To say we cannot restore a stadium that was built by residents in the 1970s cannot be possible; it will be built.

“Harare City council has 85 bars whose revenue was not getting into city coffers but going to individuals. We are taking those 85 bars back and getting the revenue back to the city.”

 He continued; “We own, as a city, the biggest opaque beer brewery in Southern Africa which is being used by Chibuku.

“That brewery has been so successful that they have even decided to start putting flavours in opaque beer. It is owned by the city and we are getting zero cents from that brewery since 1995 when Bernard Chidzero went on an ESAP experiment.

“It is very successful and is making a lot of money. That money will be ring fenced to develop our stadia.

“This is not a train smash, not all is lost. There are many corporates in the city interested in Rufaro Stadium.”

The Harare Derby is coming on Sunday and Rufaro Stadium is not anywhere near hosting the match and soccer fans have castigated Mafume for the arrogance.

“The Mayor just showed us that he is the biblical Jacob, he stole our birthright of watching matches at Rufaro Stadium, the mayor should have let Sakunda do the job,” said Tinashe Chakadza, a staunch Dynamos fan.

Blessing Chadanyika added that the Mayor thought parking money can built a stadium.

“He thought that parking money can built a stadium but he has been proved wrong, this kind of a project needs partners who are financially stable,” Chadanyika added.

 

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