Katutura Soccer Stadium ready in Dec

THE Katutura Soccer Stadium will be completed in early December, and not November as initially scheduled, due to the heavy rains which fell in the capital delaying construction.

The N$60 million facility is now scheduled to be completed on December 7. The Strategic Executive for Economic Development in the City of Windhoek, Hafeni Nghinamwaami, said the recent heavy rains affected the the initial completion date of the stadium.The first phase is expected to be completed by the end of May.Giving a progress report on the stadium of which the construction started in 2002, Nghinamwaami said the second phase of the project was 48 per cent finished, while the contractor was one-week ahead of the programme.He said apart from the main construction, the city had commissioned a consultant to conduct an operational, maintenance and management strategy.”The main reason for conducting this feasibility study is to ensure that the facility be utilised to its maximum, and for it to eventually become self, sustaining.It is not the intention of the city to build a white-elephant that will become a socio economic burden,” he said.The soccer stadium will have an 8 000 seating capacity of which 4 000 will be on the grand stand, 1 000 on the northern and southern side of the stadium, while an open stand on the eastern side of the stadium in set to accommodate 2 000 spectators.There will also be four 30-metre high masts for lighting purposes to the stadium, with parking facilities for VIP’s, the public and a taxi rank.Nghinamwaami said without excellent facilities the city cannot claim to have lived-up to its vision of enhancing the quality of life of all residents.He said a project of this magnitude should not only become the social responsibility of one institution.The city is planning to host a fund-raising dinner under the Patron of the Katutura Soccer Stadium, Hidipo Hamutenya, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to raise additional funds.No date has been given for the fundraising.The Strategic Executive for Economic Development in the City of Windhoek, Hafeni Nghinamwaami, said the recent heavy rains affected the the initial completion date of the stadium.The first phase is expected to be completed by the end of May.Giving a progress report on the stadium of which the construction started in 2002, Nghinamwaami said the second phase of the project was 48 per cent finished, while the contractor was one-week ahead of the programme.He said apart from the main construction, the city had commissioned a consultant to conduct an operational, maintenance and management strategy.”The main reason for conducting this feasibility study is to ensure that the facility be utilised to its maximum, and for it to eventually become self, sustaining.It is not the intention of the city to build a white-elephant that will become a socio economic burden,” he said.The soccer stadium will have an 8 000 seating capacity of which 4 000 will be on the grand stand, 1 000 on the northern and southern side of the stadium, while an open stand on the eastern side of the stadium in set to accommodate 2 000 spectators.There will also be four 30-metre high masts for lighting purposes to the stadium, with parking facilities for VIP’s, the public and a taxi rank.Nghinamwaami said without excellent facilities the city cannot claim to have lived-up to its vision of enhancing the quality of life of all residents.He said a project of this magnitude should not only become the social responsibility of one institution.The city is planning to host a fund-raising dinner under the Patron of the Katutura Soccer Stadium, Hidipo Hamutenya, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to raise additional funds.No date has been given for the fundraising.