PROPHETIC, Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries leader Walter Magaya has reaffirmed his support for the development and growth of sport in the country.
BY HENRY MHARA
Magaya met Sports minister Makhosini Hlongwane at his Planet Africa premises in Harare yesterday where he was apprising government officials on the progress he has made in the construction of the sports village comprising of a 15 000-seater stadium, netball and volleyball courts, and horse racing track among other sporting facilities.
He revealed that at some point he contemplated quitting his involvement in sport, including abandoning the sports village construction, due to external pressures. “He (Hlongwane) came here to revive things that I had pulled out of,” Magaya said.
“It came to his attention that I was no longer that much active in sport, so he came to ask why and I gave him the reasons which I’m not at liberty to say now. He returned and said I must continue, so we have reached an agreement over certain issues.”
“We are going to do almost everything (sport codes) here. My love is on people, so whatever they are doing, which can help them make a living out of sport, I will support. With this facility, it goes beyond soccer.”
The preacher is heavily involved in sport, as he owns a Northern Region Division One football club, Gunners, and has previously chipped in with financial support to the Warriors and the Mighty Warriors.
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Hlongwane said he was impressed with what Magaya is doing and pledged government support to the project.
“Sports and recreation as a sector is desperate for investment and we are very happy to be associated with good intentions, good work that Magaya has as far as contributing to the development of sports is concerned,” Hlongwane said.
“We got wind that his good intentions are being arrested by certain things and I thought I should come to understand what the problem was. We reached an agreement on the way forward that he will direct his exuberant energy towards the revival of the construction works around this facility.
“He will get our unconditional support in making sure that the facility does come to its fruition. His involvement, the coming-in of the church, ensures that community sport development success is guaranteed. As the ministry, we are interested in clean sport and when churches are involved, it immediately assists us in issues of doping, drug abuse and fairness. I’m very happy that we had a very successful discussion and I look forward to further engagement and making sure that his contribution doesn’t go unnoticed.”
