“We will work day and night like the Chinese to renovate Gwanzura Stadium for PSL matches”: Mafume

HARARE – With renovations at Rufaro Stadium still pending, Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume has given assurances that the City of Harare will work tirelessly to ensure Gwanzura Stadium is ready to host Premier Soccer League (PSL) matches soon.

“We will work like the Chinese, day and night,” declared Mafume emphasising the city’s commitment to renovate Gwanzura to meet international standards and bring top flight football back to the venue.

Mafume said work would begin during the current international break.

“Work will begin during this international break… the stadium just requires the perimeter fence to be completed.

“We worked on the pitch with Prophet Uebert Angel, and it is now ready for use, we now just need to grow the grass.”

“The toilets will be increased and there are around 10 gates that need to be done and we are good to go.

“As it is, it is actually equivalent to other stadiums which are being used to smaller towns, but this being Harare a lot is expected of us and this being me more is even expected.”

This is not the first time Mafume has promised to revamp the deteriorating Gwanzura Stadium.

In April 2024, he assured that the City of Harare would complete the renovations within four months.

“Gwanzura we are not going to take more than four months, we are already working and as you know it’s a smaller stadium.

“We will build new changing rooms and the other changing rooms will be public toilets. Once we do that, we will extend the stands and put some plastic chairs,” he promised though nothing was done.

“All this will be done in a quicker time, with the lessons learnt from Rufaro and also with people understanding what I’m trying to do, they will be less resistance.”

The Highfield stadium (Gwanzura) has been in a state of neglect and has not hosted a PSL match in nearly a decade.