Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE installation of bucket seats at the National Sports Stadium has started in earnest, with the grey concrete slabs slowly disappearing and a collection of colour filling up the place, preparing the giant facility to host international football again.
The arrival of the first consignment of the bucket seats at the stadium on November 30 has sparked daily activity at the once-deserted facility.
Contractors have been climbing up and down the western terraces bordering the VIP section, determined to change the outlook of the facility in time for resumption of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers next March.
This is unlike the previous eight months when virtually nothing was happening despite the approaching December 31 deadline, which is no longer possible to meet.
The Government, in partnership with energy giants Sakunda Holdings, procured 55 000 bucket seats from China, as part of ongoing efforts to revamp the venue, which has been lying dormant for several months.
An estimated 30 000 bucket seats are believed to have been delivered to the stadium, with the second batch expected in the new year.
So far, the installation has been taking place albeit at a slower pace, with power outages sometimes being the major hindrance. But indications are that the National Sports Stadium could be ready for use next year after the Government allocated millions of dollars to add to what its private partners are providing in the renovation of the 37-year-old facility.
According to the recent National Budget presentation, specifically ZiG189 million is meant to complete the renovations and to make the stadium usable in 2025.
The National Sports Stadium was
red-flagged down by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) three years ago and since then, it has not hosted international matches.
It has also failed to meet local football standards owing largely to the problem of water supply.
But that is also set to be a thing of the past as maintenance of the water reticulation system is almost complete.
New plastic water pipes have been laid in trenches around the stadium, in a complete overhaul of the old system that had come to be associated with intermittent bursts and blockages.
Apart from the installation of bucket seats and water supply, there are other renovations on the ablution facilities and turnstiles. There is also installation of CCTV cameras and electronic turnstiles, as well as upgrading of the dressing and medical rooms.
All these are key requirements on the CAF checklist of what is expected of the stadium before the suspension from hosting international matches is lifted.
Thanks to the partnership between the Government and Sakunda Holdings, the stadium is now expected to be back into use in 2025, amid expectations the facility might actually host some of Zimbabwe’s remaining 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Bucket seat installations are also taking shape at Rufaro Stadium, with the target of bringing international football back to the venue next year.
The Harare City Council has engaged a local company Okima Plastics for procurement of the seats.
The first consignment was delivered in early December and workers have been putting the pieces together.
Okima Plastics revealed they had imported a customised bucket seats moulder to speed up progress in the construction and renovation of stadiums across the country.
Bucket seats are just part of the larger recommendations by CAF to make Rufaro useable again.
The stadium has been deemed unfit to host international matches for the past few years.
Zimbabwe have played their 2025 AFCON qualifiers and 2026 FIFA World Cup home qualifying matches on foreign soil, having adopted Nelson Mandela Stadium in Uganda, Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg and Peter Mokaba in Polokwane.
