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Cletus Mushanawani Mashonaland Central Bureau
PROPERTY worth millions of dollars went up in smoke when fire gutted a state-of-the-art gym at Bindura University of Science Education’s National Sports Academy on Wednesday night.

Both the university’s marketing director, who is also acting public relations and protocol department director Mr Thomas Mahundi and the academy director commissioner Titus Zvomuya, confirmed the incident and said investigations were in progress to find the cause of the fire.

“We are not sure what caused the fire as it was only discovered on Thursday (yesterday) morning when most of the damage had been done,” said Mr Mahundi. “We have engaged police’s Criminal Investigation Department’s forensic department to help with investigations.

“What we can say at the moment is that the damage is extensive and is a major blow to the National Sports Academy. There was very serious structural damage, while state-of-the-art gym equipment was reduced to shells. Among the damaged equipment were trade-mills, bicycles and various assortment of equipment. Some office furniture was also destroyed.”

Both Mr Mahundi and Mr Zvomuya appealed for support from the corporate world in the resuscitation of the gym.
“As BUSE, we cannot go it alone and we appeal to the corporate community to come on board and assist in whatever ways they can to resuscitate this important facility which is of national importance as we house the National Sports Academy whose ground breaking ceremony was commissioned by President Mnangagwa, who is also the patron of the academy, last year,” said Mr Mahundi.

“What is sad is that some of the damaged equipment was recently purchased, while some of it was recently upgraded to meet internationally standards. Our programmes will be greatly affected and we hope very soon we will be able to use the facility again.”

Mr Zvomuya said: “It is a very sad and unfortunate development because the gym housed state-of-the-art equipment. Besides being used by our talentees, the local community and national sporting associations were also benefiting from the equipment.

“The equipment was of great importance in the fusion of the sports science aspects into sports development programmes both by the talentees and BUSE students.

“We have achieved very positive results from the use of the gym as our athletes participated and excelled in many regional, continental and international events. The student community at BUSE has equally excelled in both local and regional competitions.”

Mr Zvomuya said a number of their talentees who regularly use the gym were based at Chipundura High School on full scholarships, while quiet a sizeable number is in selected centres of excellence across the country.