Construction at Maphisa Stadium ground to a halt last week after labourers downed tools in a dispute over unpaid wages.
The strike threatened the timeline of the venue, which is scheduled to host this year’s national Independence Day celebrations.
The strike lasted about three days, with workers refusing to continue until their outstanding salaries were settled.
The disruption has placed additional pressure on the project’s completion, as the stadium must be ready for the official commemorations on 18 April 2026, an event set to be officiated by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The impasse has since been resolved following the disbursement of the owed wages. Matobo District Ward 19 Councillor, Nqobizitha Ngwenya, confirmed that the situation is now under control and that the full workforce has returned to the site.
However, the three-day stoppage has left contractors facing a race against time. Workers are now operating under an accelerated schedule to meet the fast-approaching 13 April deadline.
“Authorities resolved the issue the following day after the workers started the strike. The workers have been paid their money. They are now working, and there is no pressure,” the councillor said in an interview with CITE.
“They are finishing terraces in the stadium this week. They are just doing touch-ups now in most of the buildings. The changing rooms and ablution facilities are done; they are now just painting,” he said.
Councillor Ngwenya added that ancillary infrastructure linked to the stadium project is making steady progress. This includes several classroom blocks, which have now reached the final plastering and painting stages.
However, the Councillor said while the majority of internal roads within Maphisa town have now been tarred, the rehabilitation of the primary Bulawayo-Maphisa Road continues to lag behind schedule.
Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Matabeleland South, Albert Nguluvhe, confirmed he had been briefed on the strike action by the labourers at the stadium.
He reassured the public that the dispute has been fully resolved and should no longer impede the project’s momentum.
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