Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume has once again reiterated plans to renovate Gwanzura Stadium, a facility that has spent years in a deplorable state despite repeated promises of revival.
Speaking at the launch of CAPS United’s 2026 kit on Wednesday in the capital, Mafume said the City of Harare remains committed to restoring the Highfield stadium and other sporting venues across the capital.
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A Promise Repeated
This is not the first time Mafume has pledged to fix Gwanzura.
Back in 2024, he publicly declared that the City of Harare would take less than four months to renovate the stadium. That timeline passed without any action.
Gwanzura, once a vibrant community football hub, has become symbolic of Harare’s wider stadium infrastructure crisis, with broken terraces, outdated facilities and compliance challenges keeping it off the Premier Soccer League calendar.
Learning From Rufaro?
Mafume said council learnt valuable lessons from renovating Rufaro Stadium in Mbare.
Rufaro is now one of only two stadiums in Harare certified to host top-flight matches. The other is The Heart Stadium, owned by Walter Magaya.
The rehabilitation of Rufaro allowed football to return to the capital last season, with teams such as CAPS United, Scottland, and Dynamos shifting their home matches back to Harare.
“It was sad to note that Harare was starved of the sport people love, and we undertook to change that.”
While Rufaro’s reopening marked progress, critics argue that one or two compliant stadiums are not enough for a city the size of Harare.
Long-Term Leases On The Table
The mayor also invited clubs to submit proposals for long-term leases of between 40 and 50 years.
Such a move could introduce partnership models where clubs invest directly into stadium upgrades in exchange for long-term operational control.
For the City of Harare, this could ease the financial burden of maintaining large sports facilities.
The Uebert Angel Pledge
In 2022, cleric Uebert Angel pledged to rehabilitate Gwanzura Stadium, promising to transform it into a modern facility capable of hosting CAF and FIFA matches.
Initial work reportedly included grading the pitch, with plans floated to upgrade stands and install bucket seats. However, the broader renovation did not materialise.
Today, the stadium remains largely unchanged beyond basic surface work.
More Than Just Infrastructure
At the CAPS United event, Mafume emphasised the importance of sport, particularly football, in bringing communities together.
He urged local players to become positive role models and challenged them to help shift the narrative away from negative social media influences.
For many football supporters in Highfield and across Harare, Gwanzura is more than just concrete and grass. It represents community pride, youth development opportunities and the revival of local matchday culture.
The Real Test
The mayor successfully oversaw the reopening of Rufaro Stadium.
The question now is whether Gwanzura will follow the same path, or remain another unrealised promise. For Harare’s football fans, the focus is no longer on announcements.
It is on delivery.
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