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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke in MUTARE

THE Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation are happy with the progress in the refurbishment of Sakubva.

The stadium last hosted a Premiership match three years ago.

The renovations, which are also being bankrolled by the Government, have been going on for months now.

There is hope the stadium will meet the minimum acceptable standards soon.

Work on the stadium is almost 90 percent complete. Acting chairman of the committee, Highfield East MP Eric Murayi, said good work has been done at the stadium.

“We are satisfied with the work that has been done,’’ he said.

“They are now almost 90 percent complete and we are positive they will meet ZIFA and PSL standards for the stadium to host Premier League games.’’

There was, however, need for Government to provide more funding for the stadium to be able to host bigger matches.

“In terms of them meeting the PSL standards, they are on course, but for them to meet CAF standards, it now needs the intervention of Government,’’ he said.

“We have advised them to write to us, as Parliament, so that we can push together for the funds to be released.

“The situation that we have at the moment, that we are supposed to play our home games away, is not ideal.

“Everyone must play a role so that our stadiums can meet those standards.’’ Mutare City town clerk, Joshua Maligwa, said they would increase revenue collection to raise the US$94 000 needed to put the final touches to the stadium. He said although revenues had significantly dropped during the Covid-19 lockdown period, there was hope work would be complete as some local companies had come on board with funding.

“We have done the perimeter fence, the precast wall and we finished the razor wire on the wall,’’ he said.

“The last time we appeared before the committee we had many issues that were outstanding, including the changing rooms, the doping rooms and the conference centre but that has since been finalised. We hope in few days, we will be done, save for some few touch-ups on the ablution facilities for the VVIP stands and some other rooms which we intend to use as corner shops within the stadium.

“Mega Market have donated another VVIP stand which will be established on the other side of the stadium.

“By the time we resume games, it will all be done.”