By Parliamentary Reporter-Parliament has expressed deep concern and dismay over the dilapidated state of the Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex, a once-iconic sports facility that proudly hosted the 1995 All Africa Games and numerous other international events.
Once a symbol of sporting excellence in Zimbabwe, the Olympic-standard complex is now a shadow of its former self. Its main swimming pool, practice pool, and children’s pool have fallen into disrepair, while key infrastructure such as the electronic timing system and boiler house has long been abandoned and remains non-functional.
The collapse of the complex has not only affected its aesthetics but also severely impacted local and national swimming development, with athletes and recreational swimmers now forced to seek alternative facilities. Safety concerns and a lack of basic maintenance have rendered the complex unusable.
The extent of the neglect was brought to light during a recent inspection by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, chaired by legislator Farai Jere. Following the visit, Jere expressed outrage at the state of the facility:
“We are appalled by the state of the Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex. We will take this matter to Parliament to push for the restoration of this facility to its former glory so that it can once again host international swimming events,” Jere said.
“It is unacceptable that we are spending millions of dollars to send athletes abroad when we have a world-class Olympic facility right here at home that has been left to rot.”
The committee’s visit was part of a broader oversight mission to assess the implementation of government policies on sports infrastructure and to identify urgent interventions needed to revitalize the sector.
The current state of the Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex stands as a stark reminder of the country’s failure to preserve legacy infrastructure, and Parliament is now under pressure to act decisively to rescue what was once one of Zimbabwe’s proudest sporting landmarks.
