As I passed through the place to enquire if the gymnasium was open to the public, my heart sank. I peeped through the locked main gate only to see broken windows, unkempt grass on what used to be the soccer pitch and hordes of broken down government vehicles strewn all over the yard. The basketball pitch as well as the tennis court had all given way to tall grass and vandals.
The security guard manning the place referred us to the RBZ headquarters. Now that the headquarters itself has become another empty historical landmark in central Harare, our fears that the same fate had befallen the sports club, were heightened.
When this building was completed in the late 1990s it added great value to the Mabelreign residential area and stood out as an icon of hope for new developments coming into an area surrounded by some fairly aged houses and pot-holed roads.
Although the club was meant to be a recreational facility for RBZ staff, a few selected individuals who qualified for membership were soon co-opted. And before we knew it, the RBZ Sports Club became a regular meeting place for neighbourhood socialites.
The club also offered a variety of recreational activities including most sports disciplines and most importantly, a gym. It was also a popular wedding venue.I am therefore appealing to the relevant authorities at RBZ to consider reopening the facility and if they cannot run it themselves, to lease it out to those who can revive it.
Chaka Magwenzi, Mabelreign.
