Ministry brushes off stadium contractor

Ministry of Local Government says Zomba Stadium’s sitting capacity will be maintained at 20 000 and not reduced to 8 000 as earlier indicated by the contractor.

The ministry’s spokesperson Anjoya Mwanza said this on Wednesday in reaction to sentiments by DEC Construction Company that the facility’s capacity will be 8 000 because funding for this financial year, in which the project is expected to be finalised, is not enough.

“As Ministry of Local Government, we have not reduced the capacity from 20 000 to 8 000 and no such instruction was given to the contractor. The contract agreement has not been changed or varied,” she said.

When asked on whether funding to complete the 20 000 capacity stadium in the old capital is readily available, Mwanza said she was going to revert but had not done so by press time.

But DEC Construction Company managing director Dan Elias Chale yesterday said they agreed with the government that the firm should construct the K15 billion facility at less the capacity this year and that the rest would be done once funding is available.

“We contested for a 20 000 capacity stadium but due to financial constraints, we were advised to construct few stands so that the rest can be completed when more funding is available,” he said.

Despite that, Chale said the idea to construct the stadium at 20 000-capacity only came in 2021 as the initial arrangement in 2017 was to have a 5 000-capacity facility.

He also cited erratic funding as the main cause of the delays to complete of the stadium, which was planned to be finalised by 2020.

“Sometimes it takes months or a year before we are funded. For instance, we presented an invoice in April 2021, but we only got the finances in 2022. It is really a struggle,” he said.

Once it is finalised and meets the world football governing body’s Fifa standards, the stadium will be eligible to host TNM Super League and other high-profile football matches in the country. It will also have a netball court and an athletics track.

There has been pressure for the contractor to speed up the construction of the facility, which is a possible home venue for Zomba-based Super League side Red Lions.

Football lovers watch Lions’ elite home matches 60 kilometres away at Balaka Stadium.

Last week, some concerned sports lovers held a round-table meeting with the contractor and Zomba Mayor Davie Maunde after noting the delays to finalise the stadium’s construction works.

Zomba Concerned Sports Lovers coordinator Rajabu Namalaka said all they want is to see football matches and other sporting activities taking place in the old capital city.

Last year, the Ministry of Local Government indicated that the delayed project was in need of K2.4 billion to be completed.

President Lazarus Chakwera urged Zomba City Council and Ministry of Local Government to complete the construction and expansion of the facility after it missed its October 2020 deadline.

Speaking at Sanjika Palace when he hosted Zomba City Council councillors and secretariat staff in December 2020, Chakwera said he would like to see the stadium once again hosting high-profile matches.

Early last year, Zomba City Council planned to open Zomba Stadium on July 31 but that failed after the Football Association of Malawi queried the decision, saying it was not right to use an incomplete facility.