For the first time since 1980, one man in the name of Chamu Chiwanza has stood up in Parliament to seriously talk about football business telling the authorities that Zimbabwe needs a new stadium.
This is what is required in Parliament instead of always pointing fingers at Zifa but reminding the central government at a pre-budget conference that it too has a big financial role to play in as far as football development is concerned.
Others would have taken the time to call for financial support for the Warriors of Zimbabwe forgetting that the biggest football challenge we have right now is infrastructure and that it needs heavy treasury involvement.
Surely, since 1980, our government has never been known for its financial support for sport but that does mean things remain the same and that can be changed especially with likes of Farai Jere, Innocent Benza, Ozius Bvute, Tavengwa Mukuhlani, and Noah Mangondo all coming in to support the cause that Chiwanza has stirred.
What Chiwanza was simply saying is that whatever renovations we are going to make or we are making to the National Sports Stadium will at one time be overtaken by time and the stadium will be suspended again by CAF and Fifa, leaving Zimbabwe once again without a stadium to use.
In reality, Zimbabwe will continue forking out money on renovations on the NSS when it is better — if not cheaper — to come up with a new stadium which will not have extra costs once completed.
What the former Zifa board member competitions was telling the authorities was that to save money what Zimbabwe needed was a modern day stadium similar to the Talanta Sports City that Kenya is constructing for Afcon 2027.
The Member of Parliament for Mhondoro-Mubaira even went further to plead with the minister of finance, Professor Mthulisi Ncube, that the new stadium should be top priority but that the treasury should also not forget the 65 000 seater NSS.
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Chiwanza, who is the chairman of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sport also took his time to explain how much Zimbabweans love their football and the need for the treasury to create a special fund to ensure speedy NSS renovations.
"The National Sports Stadium is old but is the only one available for use at the moment. As the committee for sport in Parliament, we propose that the treasury — the minister is here — should come up with a special fund that ensures that the stadium is renovated," pleaded Chiwanza.
So far, according to Chiwanza, the NSS is 45% renovations complete, 25% of which is the perimeter fence and the 30 000 bucket seats having been imported from China but not yet installed.
This means the NSS renovations are 55% incomplete which should cost the treasury not more than $300 000 which is not much for the Zimbabwean government.
On that premise, we hope that Professor Ncube listened and is listening and should - as a matter of urgency - sign out funds to ensure a quick NSS upgrade and a Warriors return home for their remaining 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.
The 2026 World Cup Qualifiers will only return to the field in March, 2025, and by then and - with treasury's support - the National Sports Stadium should be ready to host not only the Warriors but also Simba Bhora in their maiden CAF Champions League.
Surely, Chiwanza was spot-on with regard to the construction of a new stadium but right now the NSS comes first and renovations need to be completed today and not tomorrow.
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