{"id":1991,"date":"2026-04-10T06:38:38","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T06:38:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/?p=1991"},"modified":"2026-04-10T06:38:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T06:38:38","slug":"chabuka-breaks-silence-on-sakubva-delay-invites-investors-to-revive-mutare-sports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/2026\/04\/10\/chabuka-breaks-silence-on-sakubva-delay-invites-investors-to-revive-mutare-sports\/","title":{"rendered":"Chabuka Breaks Silence on Sakubva Delay, Invites Investors to Revive Mutare Sports"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Fanuel Chinowaita<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Simon Chabuka<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

MUTARE \u2013 Mutare Mayor Simon Chabuka has defended delays in the renovation of Sakubva Stadium, citing funding constraints and logistical setbacks, while opening the door to private investors to help revive the city\u2019s deteriorating sports infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking in an interview on a WhatsApp platform known as Winning Goal Promotions yesterday night, Chabuka said the much-anticipated refurbishment of Sakubva Stadium had been delayed due to late delivery of key materials, particularly bucket seats being sourced from China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe had gone to see the bucket seats that were being manufactured, sign agreements and ensure they were ready for shipping. The seats are now on their way and will soon be installed,\u201d he said, adding that Chinese engineers are expected to arrive in Mutare to oversee installation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mayor revealed that council had initially suspended all football matches at Sakubva Stadium in anticipation of renovations beginning in March. However, the delay has sparked frustration among football fans, particularly supporters of Manica Diamonds, who have been left without a home venue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chabuka, however, indicated that the stadium could still be reopened on a temporary basis under certain conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is possible, but Manica Diamonds must formally approach council, and the facility must be inspected by the Zimbabwe Football Association to determine its suitability,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mayor confirmed that the club was not consulted prior to the closure of the stadium, although communication was later sent outlining council\u2019s position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond Sakubva, Chabuka acknowledged the dire state of other sporting facilities across Mutare, including Sports Oval, Mahida Grounds, and community pitches in high-density suburbs such as Dangamvura and Chikanga.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur facilities have not been attended to for over 30 years, and the cost of rehabilitation is now choking. While Sakubva is our immediate priority, we have plans to move on to other grounds,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stressed that council\u2019s responsibility extends beyond football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSoccer is not the only sport. We also have tennis, basketball, cricket, volleyball, rugby and swimming. There has to be balance in how we allocate resources,\u201d Chabuka said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funding constraints emerged as a recurring theme, with the Mayor revealing that most projects rely heavily on revenue from residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCouncil funding largely comes from rates and sports levies paid by residents, and that is why progress can be slow,\u201d he said, urging residents to meet their obligations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chabuka dismissed social media claims of a US$1.5 million deal involving a Chinese contractor, saying he was not aware of such an arrangement and challenged those making the claims to provide proof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a notable shift, the Mayor extended an invitation to private investors to partner with council in developing sports infrastructure, while cautioning that such facilities would remain community assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are open to partnerships, but these are community facilities. Investors must understand that their control will be limited as the priority is public benefit,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On grassroots access, Chabuka said community teams can apply to use council school grounds through the housing department and school authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also acknowledged concerns over poor amenities at facilities like Chisamba Grounds, including toilets and changing rooms, but said improvements would depend on available resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his closing remarks, Chabuka called for unity and collective responsibility in rebuilding Mutare\u2019s sporting landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet us work together as one. Mutare is ours. We invite private players to come on board\u2014bring resources so we can develop our city,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mayor also wished Manica Diamonds success in the current season, expressing hope that the stadium impasse would soon be resolved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Fanuel Chinowaita MUTARE \u2013 Mutare Mayor Simon Chabuka has defended delays in the renovation of Sakubva Stadium, citing funding constraints and logistical setbacks, while opening the door to private investors to help revive the city\u2019s deteriorating sports infrastructure. Speaking in an interview on a WhatsApp platform known as Winning Goal Promotions yesterday night, Chabuka…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-local-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1991","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1991"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1991\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1994,"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1991\/revisions\/1994"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}