Mnangagwa's ally takes over City Sports Centre

President Emmerson Mnangagwa's special advisor, Paul Tungwarara, has been handed the reins to oversee the long-awaited renovation of the City Sports Centre, a once-proud Harare landmark that has suffered years of neglect under the management of the City Council.

Tungwarara, through his company Prevail Group, was selected to lead the refurbishment of the council-owned indoor sports arena, although details surrounding the scope, cost, and terms of the agreement remain undisclosed.

Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume announced the development during a recent media briefing, confirming that the project had been endorsed by President Mnangagwa himself.

"We are going to be assisted in renewing the City Sports Centre which was being turned into the City Church Centre. It is not the City Church Centre. It is the City Sports Centre and it is going to remain that," said Mafume.

"The President directed that Prevail Group of Companies assist the Council to renew and modernise that facility, and we are going to do exactly that."

Mafume described the partnership as a step towards aligning the city's infrastructure with modern standards, adding that the facility would remain publicly accessible and focused on promoting indoor sports.

The deal adds to a growing list of controversial public-private partnerships involving the Harare City Council, including the ongoing Geo Pomona Waste Management project, which has faced intense public scrutiny over its terms and transparency.

The council has also partnered with ZANU-PF MP Pedzai "Scott" Sakupwanya for a sports ground project in Mabvuku and is exploring a lease agreement for the derelict Rufaro Stadium.

Mafume's embrace of the Prevail Group arrangement marks a shift from his previous resistance to private deals involving public assets. In 2022, he blocked a proposed refurbishment of Rufaro Stadium by businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei, citing concerns over public interest and asset control. However, the iconic Mbare stadium remains in disrepair years later.

"A city is built by the citizens in it," Mafume said. "Citizens in it are the corporates, churches, individuals, NGOs and everybody. We want to encourage people to come and work with us and be in partnership. When we partner with someone there is no way they can put the land in their pocket."

The City Sports Centre, once a premier venue for basketball, volleyball, and other indoor sports, has visibly deteriorated, with its outdated facilities no longer meeting modern sporting standards. Critics have pointed to the City Council's failure to maintain the facility as symptomatic of broader governance and capacity challenges.

While supporters of the Prevail Group deal see it as a pragmatic move to revive neglected infrastructure, skeptics have raised questions about the transparency of the selection process and potential political interests at play, given Tungwarara's close ties to the President.

As the city struggles to cope with mounting service delivery and infrastructure backlogs, partnerships with politically connected individuals and companies are likely to continue drawing both support and criticism.

The success or failure of the City Sports Centre refurbishment may set the tone for future collaborations between Harare City Council and the private sector - especially as pressure grows to modernise urban infrastructure ahead of the 2028 general elections.