Nomads, BB step up stadiums bids

Mighty Mukuru Wanderers have joined their arch-rivals Nyasa Big Bullets in asking government to consider handing over the stadium projects to them.

Bullets set the tone two months ago when they wrote the Ministry of Youth and Sports through Malawi National Council of Sports to allow them to complete the abandoned project in Zingwangwa Township near Moneymen Sports Club along Chikwawa Road in Blantyre.

In an interview yesterday, Nomads board secretary Humphrey Mvula disclosed that they recently engaged the Minister of Youth and Sports Richard Chimwendo Banda on the project located near Blantyre Teachers’ Training College.

He said: “Basically, what we want are three things. First, that the land should be in our name.

“We also want the contractor to continue with the project as engaged by government, but we also want to build additional structures so that we are able to generate money beyond people going to watch matches at the stadium which the current contract does not provide.

“Further to that, we wanted government to guarantee a loan with an international bank towards the investment that we want to embark on at the facility. The minister assured us that he would take it up with the President and government, so we are waiting for feedback.”

Mvula also said as the situation stands, they cannot court potential investors because the land is owned by government.

On why government should guarantee a loan for a private entity, the Wanderers official said: “It [the project] has got public interest as the registered support base is about 5.7 million and, therefore, the need for government to come in and help.

“It is also a very strong political base. Besides, government already sponsors many teams and even built stadiums for some of them such as Silver Strikers, Civil Service United and Blue Eagles. So, why not us?”

On his part, Bullets chief executive officer Suzgo Nyirenda said they are yet to get a response from government, two months after submitting their request letter.

He said: “We are desperate to take over the project because we have established that not much work has been done compared to our friends [Wanderers] where one can actually see that there is progress.

“We feel that further delay could affect the project, especially considering the current economic trends. Our interest is to take off the burden from government since it has a lot of responsibilities.”

However, in an interview, Ministry of Youth and Sports spokesperson Andrew Nyondo said they are yet to receive the letter from Bullets.

“The ministry has not received such a request, so we cannot say much on that one until such a time that we get the said request.”

The projects, that were initiated by former president Peter Mutharika during the 2019 Tripartite Elections campaign, have not been funded since the Tonse administration was ushered into power in June 2020.

But the ministry’s spokesperson said the government had other priorities such as construction of the Griffin Saenda Sports Complex and the aquatic complex ahead of the Region 5 Youth Games.

“So, upon completion of these projects that is when we can consider other projects such as the Bullets and Wanderers stadiums,” he said.

On his part, Chimwendo Banda confirmed having been approached by the two clubs, but said the ministry is engaging other stakeholders on the issue.

Bullets’ stadium was estimated to cost about K3.8 billion and was awarded to China Civil Engineering while the Nomads’ stadium pegged at K3.6 billion was awarded to Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Company.

The projects were allocated K1.6 billion (K800 million each) in the 2019/20 National Budget.