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$20m Zim spruce-up for 2010
07/06/2007 15:25 - (SA)
Harare - Cash-strapped Zimbabwe is to invest $20m on hotels and stadiums to host teams taking part in the 2010 World Cup finals in neighbouring South Africa, according to a government document obtained by AFP on Thursday.
A report drawn up by the sports and environment ministries, which has been adopted by President Robert Mugabe's cabinet, called for a comprehensive refurbishment programme of hotels which have seen a marked drop in foreign visitors since the implosion of the economy.
The report put the cost of the recommended refurbishment at around Z$1 trillion, the equivalent of around $20m on the unofficial market.
The report said most hotel rooms were in a state of neglect following the dive in tourist numbers since 2002 when Zimbabwe was slapped with Western sanctions after disputed elections.
The cabinet committee recommended the construction of new stadiums, including one in the resort town of Victoria Falls.
"Mindful of all environmental concerns, it is recommended that a new stadium be constructed both for 2010 and as a strategy for improving the town's tourism product and rating," it said.
The report did not say how the government should fund the building campaign. The Zimbabwean government is currently battling against an inflation rate of 3 714% - the highest in the world.
The 2010 World Cup will be the first time that one of the biggest of all sporting competitions has been staged in Africa and South Africa is determined not to allow the situation in Zimbabwe to cast a shadow over the tournament.
Reports in South Africa have said that President Thabo Mbeki's Zimbabwean counterpart Robert Mugabe came under pressure from the government in Pretoria recently not to proceed with plans to delay the next elections until World Cup year.
- AFP
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Zimbabwe Special Report
