BY NUNURAI JENA

This year’s Kadoma agricultural show hangs in the balance due to squabbles over the state of the grounds, health concerns and insecure surroundings.

Stakeholders who attended a meeting at show grounds on Tuesday, unanimously agreed that the 2016 interim committee had overstayed.

The show is traditionally held in the last week of September each year.

“Please listen, this meeting is not supposed to discuss about how the current committee is working. It is all about discussing whether we should go ahead with the show given the current situation at the site. It’s not professional to discuss people in absentia,” said Langton Mabhanga, who chaired the meeting.

The squabbles between stakeholders and the interim committee nearly led to the meeting being aborted after a court interdict was granted to bar Kadoma Show society president Fani Phiri and Kadoma District Administrator Amigo Mhlanga from attending.

Stakeholders resolved to go ahead with the meeting minus the duo of Amigo and Phiri.

Contacted for comment show society committee member, Tobias Chodeva, who applied for the interdict, said plans were at an advanced stage for the show and the venue will be spruced up for the annual event.

“The show is going ahead as planned and on the issue of dilapidated infrastructure it is up to exhibitors to maintain their stands,” he said.

Chodeva added: “If members feel that we have overstayed our mandate, they should follow the right procedure since we have a constitution.”

The Kadoma agricultural show stakeholders meeting followed complaints by members that the place is being neglected.