Fresh impetus for Epworth sports project

THE construction of OlympAfrica Centre, a multi-purpose sports facility in Epworth, received fresh impetus when the Government promised to evict illegal settlers who invaded land earmarked for the project.

Upon completion, the facility will have a soccer stadium, athletics track, basketball court and arts and culture centre.

The multi-million-dollar project is the brainchild of Mr Musekiwa Kumbula, who was born and bred in Epworth, and says he found it pertinent to establish a platform for unlocking sporting talent in the area which was previously associated with crime and anti-social behaviour.

Mr Kumbula helped to mobilise funds from the OlympAfrica Foundation, which is funding the project. The project is five years behind after over 40 illegal settlers invaded a 5-hectare piece of land set aside by the Epworth Local Board for the project.

Epworth residents are losing patience with the illegal settlers and are calling on the Government to take decisive action to pave way for the project. They are of the view that the project has the capacity to transform the economic fortunes of their locality.

Harare Metropolitan Affairs Minister Oliver Chidawu said the Government would not tolerate illegal occupation of land and the illegal settlers would be removed and allocated land elsewhere.

“We will relocate them elsewhere, but we have to deal with those who allocated them that land,” Minister Chidawu said.

“We cannot stop development of such a magnitude, but those illegally parcelling out State land should be brought to book.”

Epworth Local Board chief executive officer Dr Wilton Mhanda said they had since identified another area to relocate the illegal settlers.

Asked on the timelines given that the project was lagging behind, Dr Mhanda said the new area was being surveyed and relocation will be in the next four months.