Bullets plan to buy new K90m bus
Nyasa Big Bullets’ sponsor Nyasa Manufacturing Company (NMC) has approved about K90 million ($120 000) budget to buy a bus for the TNM Super League champions within six months.
NMC chairperson Konrad Buckle and chairperson of Bullets take-over steering committee Noel Lipipa said this in Blantyre yesterday during a press briefing.
They said they have already liaised with AXA Bus Service owner Mark Katsonga to help them identify and buy the new Higger bus on the club’s behalf since he has experience and knowledge of what a good bus looks like.
“We are glad to disclose that we will acquire a new bus in six months as NMC has approved $120 000 budget for that purpose,” Buckle said.
Lipipa, who is the club’s former chairperson and the current Blantyre City South parliamentarian, said they consulted Katsonga to avoid their previous predicament that saw them buying a faulty reconditioned Marcopolo bus in South Africa in 2017.
He said the new bus will help the club ease transport expenses as they struggle since their current 65-seater bus was grounded.
“When we bought the bus in South Africa, it was in perfect condition and we could not think it was a reconditioned vehicle that was going to give us problems. We are confident we will not face similar problems with the new bus we are about to acquire,” Lipipa said.
In an interview yesterday, Katsonga confirmed, saying: “We have been talking with Bullets for me to help them in procurement of the bus as I buy buses. It’s a simple and straight forward issue.”
Bullets director of supporters Stone Mwamadi, who was among the club’s directors that accompanied Buckle and Lipipa at the briefing, said he is happy that Bullets will no longer be ridiculed by rival supporters for using a faulty bus.
In spite of that, he has requested the club’s board to consider servicing the old bus so that it can be used by the supporters during away games in and outside the country once football resumes.
Among other agreements at the board meeting were that players’ salary cut from June this year will not be effected as previously planned and that there should be a discussion with supporters on the possibility of letting go their plan of constructing own stadium because there is already a similar offer from the government, which has approved K3.8 billion for Bullets and Be Forward Wanderers’ stadia.
