Bullets, wanderers stadium under review
Minister of Youth and Sports Richard Chimwendo Banda has said the future of the Nyasa Big Bullets and Mighty Wanderers stadium projects will be reviewed in due course.
The minister was responding to a question on whether government is committed to finalise construction of the stadia for the two domestic football powerhouses, having once again been left out in the proposed 2022/23 National Budget.
He said in an interview on Saturday: “The projects will be reviewed and the outcome will be made available to the public as well as Bullets and Wanderers.”
The projects have not been funded since the Tonse administration was ushered into government in 2020 and the latest development casts a doubt on their future.
In 2020, former minister of Youth and Sports Ulemu Msungama was quoted by The Nation that construction of the stadia for the two teams was not a priority.
He said: “We cannot prioritise what we [Tonse administration] did not promise. We have to live our dream.
“Building stadiums for Bullets and Wanderers was not on our agenda. Nevertheless, we will proceed with the projects. We have not abandoned them, but how we will do that is a subject for another day.”
Former president Peter Mutharika pledged to construct stadiums for the two TNM Super League outfits during the 2019 Tripartite Elections campaign.
Bullets chief administration officer Albert Chigoga promised to revert on the issue, but had not done so by press time at 5pm yesterday while Wanderers board secretary Humphrey Mvula was not available for comment.
Football analyst Charles Nyirenda said the country has too many priorities right now.
He said: “Covid-19 and issues of the kwacha losing value means that the battle for resources to go to crucial social sectors will always overshadow the desire to fulfil political pledges made by any previous regime, not because they are not needed, but owing to resource challenges.
“Mind you, the past regime talked about building a new stadium in Blantyre and designs of the infrastructure were produced, including the Kwacha Park location yet funds were not set aside for that.
“In addition, the Bullets and Wanderers projects, pledged by the past regime, hardly took off before a change of government happened. In other words, it was more of a political gimmick prior to elections than something serious.
“Look at Kamuzu Stadium, it’s in bad shape and one would say why not begin to handle that public facility issue first that could even serve the two clubs like Kamuzu Stadium does at the moment?”
Bullets stadium, earmarked for Zingwangwa near Moneymen along Chikwawa Road, was estimated to cost about K3.8 billion and the project was awarded to China Civil Engineering.
Wanderers project, located near Blantyre Teachers College, was pegged at K3.6 billion and was awarded to Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Company.
The projects were allocated K1.6 billion (K800 million each) in the 2019/20 National Budget, but have not been funded since then.
Preliminary works were done at the two sites.
In December, Bullets unveiled plans to construct their own 20 000-capacity stadium in Mpemba, Blantyre along Chikwawa Road as part of their ambitious project to build the club’s village.
The 13 hectares space, situated about seven kilometres outside Blantyre Central Business District, will also include office complex, two training pitches, hostels, club house and a conference centre.
On why they were planning to construct a stadium when government already pledged to build one for them whose preliminary phase was already done, the People’s Team vice-president Fleetwood Haiya then said: “We are aware of government’s pledge koma kuwopa kuti umadzadikira madzi a mphutsi [to avoid being caught off guard], we have thought it wise to build our own.”
