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Zwigananda FC trying to capture Rufaro Stadium
27 Mar 2025 at 06:21hrs | Views
Harare City Councillors have expressed opposition to the City of Harare's plans to enter into a lease agreement with Scottland FC over Rufaro Stadium, citing their dissatisfaction with a similar arrangement at Mabvuku Ground, which has reportedly yielded no tangible results.
The issue was a point of contention during Tuesday's Ordinary Council meeting at the Town House. The City of Harare Mayor, Jacob Mafume, announced that Scottland FC, together with their partners, had pledged to improve the state of Rufaro Stadium and promised to upgrade the facility to international standards by the end of the year.
However, this proposal was met with resistance from several councillors, who questioned why Scottland FC was being given priority for the Rufaro Stadium lease agreement despite their failure to deliver on the renovations at Mabvuku Ground. The City of Harare had previously leased the Number 1 ground in Mabvuku to Scottland FC with the expectation that the facility would be renovated, but councillors have noted that no significant work has been done at the site, and it has not hosted any league matches since the agreement.
Ward 16 Councillor Denford Ngadziore raised concerns about Scottland's inability to follow through on its promises at Mabvuku and argued that granting them another lease agreement for Rufaro Stadium would be a mistake. "You leased Mabvuku ground to Scottland, but till today nothing has happened at the facility, as we are yet to have a league match being played at the facility. So I suggest that we should not give Rufaro Stadium to the same partner which has failed a small number 1 ground in Mabvuku," he said.
Rufaro Stadium's renovations are still far from meeting international standards, and the councillors are wary of repeating the same partnership with Scottland FC. Councillor Costa Mhande suggested that the council consider alternative solutions, such as leasing Scottland FC one of Harare's other dilapidated stadiums, rather than Rufaro, which is close to completion. "As for Rufaro Stadium, I advise that the council should come up with what it wants the stadium to be like, then advertise a tender on who can partner openly. We can't just wake up and have Scottland as the only partner. If that is the case, they can go and work on other stadiums like Dzivarasekwa and Gwanzura," he said.
In 2022, energy giant Sakunda Holdings had expressed interest in leasing Rufaro Stadium, but their offer was turned down by the council. This has added fuel to the debate, with some councillors questioning why Scottland FC is being given preferential treatment despite their track record.
The council's decision on the proposed lease agreement with Scottland FC remains pending, with councillors calling for more transparency and accountability in how the stadiums are managed and developed.
The issue was a point of contention during Tuesday's Ordinary Council meeting at the Town House. The City of Harare Mayor, Jacob Mafume, announced that Scottland FC, together with their partners, had pledged to improve the state of Rufaro Stadium and promised to upgrade the facility to international standards by the end of the year.
However, this proposal was met with resistance from several councillors, who questioned why Scottland FC was being given priority for the Rufaro Stadium lease agreement despite their failure to deliver on the renovations at Mabvuku Ground. The City of Harare had previously leased the Number 1 ground in Mabvuku to Scottland FC with the expectation that the facility would be renovated, but councillors have noted that no significant work has been done at the site, and it has not hosted any league matches since the agreement.
Ward 16 Councillor Denford Ngadziore raised concerns about Scottland's inability to follow through on its promises at Mabvuku and argued that granting them another lease agreement for Rufaro Stadium would be a mistake. "You leased Mabvuku ground to Scottland, but till today nothing has happened at the facility, as we are yet to have a league match being played at the facility. So I suggest that we should not give Rufaro Stadium to the same partner which has failed a small number 1 ground in Mabvuku," he said.
Rufaro Stadium's renovations are still far from meeting international standards, and the councillors are wary of repeating the same partnership with Scottland FC. Councillor Costa Mhande suggested that the council consider alternative solutions, such as leasing Scottland FC one of Harare's other dilapidated stadiums, rather than Rufaro, which is close to completion. "As for Rufaro Stadium, I advise that the council should come up with what it wants the stadium to be like, then advertise a tender on who can partner openly. We can't just wake up and have Scottland as the only partner. If that is the case, they can go and work on other stadiums like Dzivarasekwa and Gwanzura," he said.
In 2022, energy giant Sakunda Holdings had expressed interest in leasing Rufaro Stadium, but their offer was turned down by the council. This has added fuel to the debate, with some councillors questioning why Scottland FC is being given preferential treatment despite their track record.
The council's decision on the proposed lease agreement with Scottland FC remains pending, with councillors calling for more transparency and accountability in how the stadiums are managed and developed.
Source - newzimbabwe
