Zimbabwe grounds

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The Zimbabwe Grounds are an area within Highfield Suburb on the south of Zimbabwe Capaital, Harare.

The Zimbabwe Grounds comprise of 5 football pitches, a cricket ground, tennis and basketball courts. The grounds are surrounded by Old Highfield section on the greater part and share borders with Takashinga cricket ground (home ground of Andy Flower and Tatenda Taibu), Zimbabwe Hall, Highfield Library, a Nursery School, Anglican Church and Chipemebere primary school annexe. The grounds are within a stone throw of Gwanzura footbal stadium.

These grounds normally stage the Makomva League social soccer games on Saturdays, Sundays and Public holidays. The tennis and basketball are open to the public and admission is free for every event.

The Zimbabwe grounds are famous for having hosted the Mugabe's ZANU party's "Star Rally" in 1979. It is at this meeting that he made his famous prediction for a landslide victory at the impeding first democratic elections in the then Rhodesia.

Incidentally and ironically, the Zimbabwe Grounds were the scene of widespread chaos and violence on March 11th 2007. This occurred after opposition members, church members, national constitutional members, and the general public gathered for a 'prayer meeting, to protest against the death of democracy and general hardships in Zimbabwe' The government of Zimbabwe of Robert Mugabe viewed this gathering as a severe case of civil disobidience. It perceived this gathering as pilot for a 'revolution'. The government responded with a heavy hand in their efforts to disperse the gatherers. This clashes resulted in the fatal shooting of Gift Tandare an MDC activist as police resorted to using live ammunition against the tenacious masses.

The Zimbabwe grounds seem to be a launchpad for political change in Zimbabwe.