Kamuzu Stadium renovations to start Jan

Malawi government has said renovations of Kamuzu Stadium are expected to start in January 2012.

Youth and Sports Minister Enoch Chihana said a South African company called Simat has already offered to renovate the facility under the Tripple P [public, private, partnership].

“So far, only Simat have shown interest to invest in the project and they sent a delegation last week to express their commitment,” said Chihana.

However, the minister said should more companies express interest in the venture, then government will call for tenders.

Chihana also said the projection is that the renovations will take three to four months and the project will cost between $15 and $20 million [about K6.4 billion].

He also reiterated that the stadium will soon be opened temporarily for local games once the affected areas are cordoned off.

“As promised, in the next two to three weeks, the stadium should be open for local games before being closed again in January for the major renovations,” said Chihana.

Government closed the stadium indefinitely in September this year on recommendation from structural experts after it was discovered that some stands had developed serious cracks.