THE government maintains that the National Sports Stadium (NSS) will officially reopen on May 24.
However, a scene of scaffolding, piles of rubble and active construction crews greeted observers yesterday as contractors raced to finalise five years of stop-and-go renovations.
The stadium was condemned in 2019 after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) issued a ban due to the absence of bucket seats, failing floodlights and poor drainage systems.
Five years and a budget exceeding US$12 million later, completion dates continue to shift.
During a site tour yesterday by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sports, Arts and Culture, the clumsy pace of progress was evident.
Addressing Members of Parliament and journalists on-site, Sports ministry secretary Nicholas Moyo insisted that 95% of CAF requirements have been met and the May 24 deadline remains firm.
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“The major focus will be to take you through the critical components on the refurbishment of the National Sports Stadium,” he said.
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“With the guidance from the minister, our focus has been in two places.
“Firstly, we are renovating the National Sports Stadium to ensure that we open the stadium for local football.”
“So that our teams can play here and we bring life again to the National Sports Stadium.
Secondarily, and relieve the pressure which is currently at Rufaro stadium, that is taking so many games per week. That is the first task that the minister has given us.”
Despite these assurances, NewsDay Sport observed that the tartan track remains untouched.
Furthermore, the ablution facilities reportedly require at least two more weeks to reach completion.
Workers on-site noted that running water is currently only available on the pitch, and not in the restrooms.
There is also still a lot of work to be done, with the team dressing rooms not recognisable at the moment save for only the installed showers.
Moyo added that the stadium gates are also incomplete as they are being replaced with electronic turnstiles designed to scan tickets automatically and capture real-time attendance data.
“So that is the first milestone that we have done. We have not completed all the gates. One of the gates is going to be user-friendly to people living with disabilities,” he said.
“Secondly, is to ensure that the stadium is homologated. That means it passes the requirements of CAF and Fifa.
“And thereby allow the national teams, whether it's club level or the Warriors, to then play a game here at the National Sports Stadium.”
“There is now a gate that is designated for people living with disabilities. The second component, honourable Members of Parliament, is the ablution facilities in this place.
“They were condemned and they were demolished and reconstructed from the ground.”
Farai Jere, the chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sports, urged the government to accelerate the remaining works.
“We are very happy as Parliament, but we are still going to keep on pushing the ministry, everyone involved, to make sure that we do not relax, we do not sit down and we fail to meet the target,” he said.
Jere stated that the stadium is expected to accommodate over 20 000 fans once this phase of refurbishment is finalised.
“But, by May 25, we are going to have our first local match played here because all what was required for this stadium to meet the local standards, it has been met and they have surpassed it.
“Those 25 000 are going to have a first approach whereby 20 000 fans can walk into this stadium today.
“You have seen the toilets are finished, they are completed and that’s how they are going to open it and they are going to start using the facility.
“For those who are doubting the works which are being done by the second republic, here is the evidence which you are seeing here at this facility.”
