Government demands answers from FAZ over K37 million FIFA funded stadia projects

GOVERNMENT is demanding answers from the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) over the quality of works done on the US$1.5 million (about K37 million) FIFA-funded stadia projects. Sports minister Elvis Nkandu, who described the quality as shoddy, said the works done on the four provincial facilities were unsatisfactory and ordered FAZ to exculpate itself. Nkandu wondered how FAZ could have handed over the stadia to the community in their poor state. He said FAZ should be answerable for what transpired at Kasama Stadium, David Kaunda Stadium, Mansa Stadium and now Solwezi Stadium.

“If what we are seeing is anything to go by, then it’s unfortunate…. The works have been shoddy. All of them have had shoddy works. Kasama (wall) collapsed. David Kaunda is getting waterlogged and now this Independence Stadium. We have written to them to exculpate themselves on why we should not suspend the Memorandum of Understanding,” Nkandu said.

At the weekend, FAZ opened Solwezi’s Independence Stadium after being closed for close to two years to undergo renovations worth US$300,000 but the sight of the contraption left fans disappointed. A check at the stadium found the VIP terrace seats worn out, the technical bench area covered using a tent, painting of the terraces already washed away.

FIFA under the FIFA Forward project funded member association with US$1.5 million for the renovation of stadia. FAZ picked four stadia: David Kaunda in Chipata, Kasama Sports Stadium in Kasama, Kaole Stadium in Mansa and Independence Stadium in Solwezi.

Credit: Times of Zambia