HARARE mayor Jacob Mafume has announced that the city-owned Rufaro Stadium is set for a significant upgrade, with the installation of bucket seats expected by August of this year.
The stadium, iconic as the home of Dynamos FC, was condemned by the Confederation of African Football in 2020.
After years of neglect and subsequent dilapidation, the venue was deemed unfit to host international matches.
But after some work, the facility opened to Premier Soccer League matches in 2023 and is currently home to Harare-based sides Dynamos, Caps United, Scottland FC, Hunters and Herentals in the current Castle Lager Premier Soccer League race.
However, in an official statement released yesterday, Mafume highlighted a new vision for the football venue.
“We want to say by August, we will have installed all the bucket seats required,” he said.
The mayor further detailed a new operational model designed to empower local clubs and ensure the stadium’s sustainability.
Under this plan, the city aims to shift more financial control to the teams.
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“What we do is we surrender the stadium to the home team. The home team gets all the funds, is in charge of the gate takings,” he said.
“So they simply hire the stadium from city council, probably pay a thousand so, and then they give 4% of the gate takings to council, and then others are given to the Sports Commission, Zifa, PSL, as the case may be, and the net proceeds remain with the home team.”
While the venture appears heavily skewed toward benefiting the clubs, Mafume emphasised that the city’s primary motivation is the well-being of its residents and the restoration of a vibrant sporting culture.
“We are aware that we should assist and create sporting facilities that will allow people to have a full life, to enjoy their weekends,” he said.
To fund these improvements, the city plans to utilise revenue from the beer levy alongside seat coffers to procure the bucket seats and other necessary amenities.
The ultimate goal is to return Rufaro to the international stage.
“We are determined to make sure that not only the PSL is played there, but international matches,” Mafume added.
While the stadium still requires extensive work to meet global standards, the installation of bucket seats marks a critical first step in the restoration of Zimbabwe’s ceremonial home of football.
