ELSEWHERE is this publication, we carry a story in which the Municipality of Gwanda has indicated that it
intends to turn space reserved to build a stadium into residential and commercial stands.
This has been widely condemned by both residents and the residents’ association.
Rightly so. It does not make sense to create residential and commercial space where there should be a
recreational facility, more so when Gwanda only has one, Phelandaba Stadium, which cannot accommodate
those into sports, considering the town’s growing population.
In this day and age, it staggers the imagination why the local authority would think that sporting activities
are not so important, yet one of the most wealthy and famous people are sportspersons.
By its unwillingness to develop sporting facilities, the council is killing hundreds if not thousands of
potential talent in the town and its surroundings.
This also comes at a time when police countrywide have launched a crackdown on drug peddlers and
abusers to rid society of the vice, which is undoubtedly destroying lives of many young people.
And it needs no reminder that to keep these youths off the streets and from being hooked onto drugs, they
must have recreational activities to keep them busy – the same ones that council is seeking to destroy.
Gone are the days when sporting activities played second fiddle to studies. They are now recognised as an
important part of life in which if explored and nurtured to potential, one can eke out a decent living.
This issue will certainly have Gwanda residents questioning their local authority on what they are actually
doing to raise revenue other than rely on service charges and let alone sale of stands.
We hope the town fathers realise that the move they intend to take is by no means a solution to ending the
backlog of the housing waiting list. How can we in the 21 st century have a population with no recreational
centres such a stadiums?
The Municipality of Gwanda ought to do the decent thing – eat the humble pie and backtrack on their poorly
thought out move.
