Rains disrupt turf installation
Installation of a new artificial turf at Kamuzu Stadium has been delayed following persistent rains the Southern Region has been experiencing lately.
However, stadium authorities are confident that the facility will be ready by April when the TNM Super League kicks off.
Director of sports in the Ministry of Labour, Youth, Sports and Manpower Development, Jameson Ndalama said the turf needs to be installed under dry weather conditions.
“The company that is installing the turf said they cannot do the work while it is raining. They need a window of at least two weeks of dry weather,” he said.
“With the rainy season in the Southern Region ending around March, they should be able to resume the work and conclude before April.”
Government wanted the new turf installed at the closed stadium last year, but the supplier ACT Global withheld it due to delays in payment.
However, renovation of other facilities at the stadium such as stands, toilets and dressings rooms by Pabe Construction Contractors is underway.
A visit to the stadium shows that the covered and VIP stands have been renovated from wooden stands to concrete.
A proper tunnel from dressing rooms to the pitch has also been constructed, replacing the old make-shift tunnel which was made of iron sheets.
Government allocated K1.5 billion for the stadium’s renovations and construction of a new one in Blantyre.
According to Minister of Labour, Youth, Sports and Manpower Development, Francis Kasaila, they will ensure the facility is in ‘usable state’ as government is constructing a new facility at Njamba Freedom Park.
“We have already planned to build a new stadium in Blantyre but we thought it wise to renovate Kamuzu Stadium so that teams are able to use the facility whilst waiting for the new stadium,” the minister said last month when he handed over the turf.
Fifa safety and security experts Peter Weymes and Rick Riding inspected the facility last year and made recommendations that included the renovation of the stadium before it can be used.
