Kamuzu Stadium lease on course

FCB Nyasa Bullets owner Nyasa Manufacturing Company (NMC) has engaged the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture on the prospects of leasing Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre, The Nation has learnt.

A source confided in The Nation that talks between the two parties have been going on for weeks.

Kamuzu Stadium

Said the source: “Owners of Nyasa Manufacturing Company have proposed to revamp the facility under the public private partnership arrangement.

“To that effect, the ministry sought legal advice from the Attorney General [Frank Mbeta] and it was goven.

“There has been some progress, but nothing concrete yet.”

Mbeta confirmed in an interview yesterday having been approached by the ministry.

“It is true that the Ministry of Sports sought my opinion on the matter and the same was duly given,” he said.

NMC chief executive officer Escort Chinula had not responded to our questionnaire at press time yesterday while the ministry’s spokesperson MacMillan Mwale declined to comment on the matter.

On the assertion made by Football Association of Malawi president Fleetwood Haiya in an interview with Zodiak Broadcasting Station Television on Monday evening that government will demolish the ailing facility and construct a new one, he said: “We are consulting senior officials on the matter and we should have a position soon.”

Recently, the ministry said the facility would not reopen for elite football matches for the rest of the season.

At the time, Mwale said: “Internal consultations are being finalised and we believe that something better will come out soon.”

FAM barred the facility from hosting elite matches in April this year for failing to meet standard requirements.

The decision led to an impasse between FAM and Super League of Malawi (Sulom) and the flagship league runners defied the ban and scheduled the FDH Bank Premiership launch game between Mighty Wanderers and Karonga United at the venue.

But FAM stood its ground, leading to the postponement of the league’s launch despite the intervention of Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Alfred Gangata.

The stand-off also led to sponsors FDH Bank plc suspending all its sports sponsorships amounting to K7.5 billion. The suspension was lifted two weeks later after Sulom, FAM, Malawi National Council of Sports and the ministry apologised to the bank.

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