Council To Charge Stadium Levy On Residents

Following efforts being made to rehabilitate Bindura’s Chipadze Stadium, the local authority is mooting to introduce a “Stadium Levy” on the town’s residents to raise funds for completion of the project which stalled in March this year.

The project reportedly stalled after a last minute venue change to host this year’s Independence celebrations which were earmarked for the stadium.

However, government diverted funds meant for its refurbishment to Mt Darwin’s Pfura Stadium and Mt Darwin High School where the celebrations were eventually held on Tuesday.

This move reportedly left the financially handicapped Bindura Municipality unable to continue with the renovations.

However, Mayor Brian Kembo has said works at the stadium will continue as previously planned and should be completed by the end of the first quarter next year.

“We are only left with going to our stakeholders for consultations but, already all councilors are aware.”

“We budgeted for the renovations but, we still want more financial injections hence we are planning to introduce the Stadium Levy. We are only left with going to our stakeholders for consultations but, already all councilors are aware.”

“We are looking forward to residents complying and beginning to pay the stadium levy as soon as possible so that work which has already started at the stadium is completed,” he said.

He dismissed assertions by members of the public that the municipality was just a baby carried on the back when the rehabilitations were under way.

By the time the rehabilitation stopped, two boreholes were already sank, a precast wall around the field was under construction as well as some changing rooms.

Regarding this scenario, councillor Kembo said they were targeting to complete building the ablution facilities and changing rooms which were halfway built as well as surrounding the stadium with a precast wall to safeguard the arena by early next year.

He added that council’s vision was to have a standard Chipadze Stadium with roofed terraces and bucket seats, a ground with artificial turf suitable for hosting sporting any other events under any other weather conditions.

Council is expecting to construct a tarred and spacious car parking area which will be used as a flea market area by SMEs in the absence of events in the stadium. Nhau/Indaba