By- Harare Provincial Affairs and Devolution in the Office of the President and Cabinet secretary, Tafadzwa Muguti has directed the police to block Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume from re-opening Rufaro Stadium.
Zanu PF imposed Muguti to oversee the affairs of the Harare metropolitan province without consulting other stakeholders. Zanu PF did this to dilute the powers of the CCC-led Harare city council.
Mafume had planned to commission Rufaro Stadium on Thursday and some guests, who included the Zifa Stabilisation Committee chairman Lincoln Mutasa, were at the venue before later being dispersed by police.
Both Muguti and the Zifa committee responsible for stadium inspection and approval say Mafume had been renovating independently without engaging them.
The refurbishments at the facility are complete, making the venue usable for public events.
By the time guests had gathered, Council workers were finalising working on dressing rooms, and toilets, clearing debris and attending to other facilities, which were more than 50 per cent complete on the day the local authority had committed to handing over the stadium to football authorities.
Police on Thursday explained the reasons behind their dispersing of officials, who had gathered at Rufaro amid light drizzles for the commissioning.
“With regards to media queries on the status of Rufaro Stadium in Harare and the issue of maintenance of law and order, the ZRP reiterates that it stands guided by the Permanent Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Harare Province as he is the one in charge of Government and local authorities programmes in the city,” said ZRP spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi.
Muguti said the rehabilitation of Rufaro was supposed to be done under an inter-ministerial taskforce which looks at the maintenance of sporting facilities.
“Government’s position is very clear. We have an inter-ministerial taskforce which looks at the upkeep and the maintenance of stadiums, including the design and the construction of public infrastructure and all local authorities are supposed to work within this structure.
“The City of Harare was advised through my office last month to please ensure that if they are building Rufaro or are renovating Rufaro they stand guided through the Ministry of Youth Sport, Arts and Recreation.
“Through Honourable Kirsty Coventry, as well as the Sports and Recreation Commission, they are the one who oversee (issues of stadiums and sports amenities).
“So as it is, building or renovating a stadium is not a one man’s job. It’s a collective effort of all stakeholders. Consulting with ZIFA or PSL is not enough. It needs to be certified and the certification is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry, and this has since been communicated.