SIZINDA Grounds is set for a major facelift after Southern Region Division One side Zebra Revolution Football Club offered to fully fund and undertake the rehabilitation of the long-neglected community sports facility.
The proposal, considered by the City of Bulawayo following a report by the Director of Housing and Community Services on August 6, includes re-laying the pitch turf, renovating changing rooms, and installing a perimeter fence.
The initiative comes as the city grapples with deteriorating community sports infrastructure, with Sizinda Grounds being one of 44 community sports fields spread across Bulawayo.
The facility is regularly used by youth and social soccer teams, but years of neglect have rendered the changing rooms unusable.
The Department of Housing and Community Services supported the proposal, noting that the planned improvements have the potential to restore the facility and better serve its intended purpose.
Zebra Revolution has offered to meet the full cost of the rehabilitation and execute the proposed upgrades.
Council accepted the proposal as a goodwill donation towards the development of the city's sports facilities.
However, the approval comes with strict conditions to ensure the investment benefits the wider community rather than becoming exclusive to the club. Under the resolution, Sizinda Grounds will remain a public facility and must be accessible to all stakeholders without restrictions.
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"The facility will continue to be managed by council's Social Services section. Council also resolved that a project manager be appointed when implementation begins, while the Works Department will supervise the project," council noted in its report.
The local authority will also be indemnified against any damages and claims arising from the project.
The partnership provides a potential model for addressing the deterioration of Bulawayo's community sports infrastructure through collaboration between the local authority and private or sporting organisations.
Council noted that maintaining the 44 community sports fields across the city remains a major challenge due to limited resources.
The Sizinda project is expected to make the facility more functional and secure through the upgraded amenities while safeguarding public access.
