Friday, March 29, 2024

Livingstone Stadium construction to be put on hold until Kaoma stadium in Western Province is built-Kambwili

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MINISTER of Sport, Youth and Child Development Chishimba Kambwili
MINISTER of Sport, Youth and Child Development Chishimba Kambwili

Minister of Youth and Sports Mr Chishimba Kambwili has announced that the Livingstone Stadium earmarked for construction in 2013 will have to be put on hold until the Kaoma stadium in Western Province is built.

“The Livingstone Stadium which was earmarked to start in 2013 will have to wait for now as the Kaoma Stadium is of an urgent matter as I was directed by the President to ensure one is set up immediately. And I assure you, when I start a crusade I don’t fail,” he added.

President Sata last month directed Kambwili through Labour Minister, Fackson Shamenda, for the immediate construction of King Lewanika University and a modern stadium in Western Province as a way of honouring his campaign promises to the people of Western Province.

Meanwhile government has began talks with with two Chinese firms over the construction of a stadium in Kaoma, Western Province.

The companies in question are ANHUI Foreign Economic Construction Group (SOGECOA), who built the 90 Days Legacy swimming pool at the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) and Shanghai Construction Group, who are building the Lusaka Stadium.

Kambwili, during a brief interaction with SOGECOA officials when they handed over the swimming pool at the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) in Lusaka to be used for the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa (SCSA) Zone Six Games, said his ministry was in a hurry to construct a stadium in Western Province as directed by President Michael Sata.

The Minister told the group to submit proposals of the stadium which he said must not be as extravagant like the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola or the Lusaka Stadium under construction.

Kambwili said Government wanted a sizeable stadium in Kaoma which should have supporting facilities for other sports disciplines and must have among others; a running track, netball, basketball and tennis courts and others for use by other sporting disciplines.

“Are you able to give us proposals of a stadium which we want to put up in Western Province because we want works to start immediately and it must be simple and not very expensive?” Kambwili said as he quipped with the Chinese officials.

But Kambwili told the SOGECOA officials that they should be ready to fight it out with Shanghai Construction Group whom Government has equally asked to submit their proposal and budget.

74 COMMENTS

  1. Schools,good hospitals and clean water over and above unuseable stadiums should be topmost priority for any right thinking country.

  2. Again, it seems logic is elusive in our government when it comes to implementing developemental programs. How do you build a stadium in a place where vital infra-structures such as roads are virtually impassable if they do exist? I appreciate the effort the government is putting in when it comes to building new stadiums, but surely, do we REALLY need stadiums build at the expense of vital structures such as schools and hospitals with adequate equipment? I beg to differ.

    Kambwili wants a simple and inexpensive stadium in Western province??? Cheap always ends up being expensive bwana minister. The word you need to emphasize is QUALITY. QUALITY is want you should be requesting otherwise, the china men will build you a cheap stadium that will collapse with your weight alone.

    • That’s the problem we have in Zambia it explains the design for the Olympic swimming pool it has a design of the 1960’s such as the seating arrangements etc problem is SIMPLE and CHEAP. Everything must be state of the art, look at Botswana they never build anything that is not state of the art.

  3. Mr Kambwili please look at the pictures in this story:

    Inonge Wina’s Senanga tour in Pictures (Lusaka Times – Monday, September 17, 2012).

    If the stadium is more urgent this then you are all jokers.

  4. RUBBISH…RUBBISH AND RUBBISH AGAIN. THE TOURIST CITY DESERVES A STADIUM URGENTLY. SURELY KOAMA STADIUM CAN WAIT. CAN YOU IMAGINE ZAMBIA PLAYING AN OVERSEAS TEAM IN LIVINGSTONE…….WE WILL BE PROMOTING TOURISM. PLEASE THINK OF ECONOMIC SPINOFFS FROM EVERY PROJECT YOU EMBARK ON. NOW THE NEW MAN AT ZAMBIA RAILWAYS WANTS A RAIL LINE TO MPULUNGU TO RUN PARALLEL TO TAZARA, WHICH IS 80% UNDER UTILIZED AND A WORKSHOP SOMEWHERE IN CHOMA, WHEN THE ONE IN KABWE IS UNDER UTILIZED…I FEEL LIKE CRYING

  5. THE PRINCIPLE SHOULD REMAIN “FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE” WHY SHIFTING GOAL POST????? SOUTHERN PROVINCE SECOND CHOICE????

  6. We once a minister of action like that during KK & Chiluba era, his name was Sata, King Cobra.
    This time around we have Chishimba Kambwili, who knows which ministry he runs? I wish Sata had 4 of those…

  7. Misplaced priorities!!! Idea is good but timing is wrong. Barotseland is impoverished and I am sure that there are big, urgent, pressing problems that require this style of interventions. How about cattle restocking, disease control, etc

    • You chaps do you know how much revenue England gets from Stadiums? There are modern shops around the stadium and that’s is part of development.We may produce athletics like Bolt in Western Province viva PF 

  8. Mr Minister are you serious with what you are doing?It does not make sense, you abandon something you have started with no apperant reasons, just because your boss has directed you to do so.Does it mean that the money meant for the Livingstone stadium will be taken to the Kaoma stadium?Why i have said so, it’s because if  there’s money for both stadia why not carry the works for both stadia at the same time.Mr Kambwili may you stop politiking.

  9. It will be interesting to watch Zambia playing Nigeria, Egypt, RSA etc in Kaoma. Every province in this country is important and must be involved in sports activities. Such facilities will also promote development in the affected provinces

    • The timing is very wrong, look at my comment # 3. Run search in Lusaka Times for that story and judge for yourself.

  10. sad to see the whole government stuck on building a stadium in Livingstone or in kaoma. This should have been left to a dept responsible for national reconstruction and not to fat politicians

  11. Another daft idea by PF. Lets put national interest above cadre politics. Building a stadium in Livingstone makes a million times more sense than putting one in Kaoma. Come on ba PF think!!!

  12. #1 BUSHE DO YOU READ NEWS ABOUT ZAMBIA REGULARLY. THE MINISTRY OF SPORTS AND YOUTH…(WHATEVER), MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, AND THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH ARE ALL DIFFERENT MINISTRIES. THERE’S A PROGRAM FOR BUILDING 600 (CORRECT ME) HEALTH CENTRES ALREADY, AND ANOTHER ONE FOR BUILDING SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES. AND ALL THESE PROGRAMS ALREADY COMMENCED. DON’T READ NEWS IN ISSOLATION FROM WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN WRITTEN/SAID. IF YOU CAN’T KEEP UP WITH NEWS PLS HAVE THE PF MANIFESTO HANDY. IT WILL TELL YOU ALL THE DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRAMS THEY ARE ENGAGED IN.

  13. PF government is in a hurry to please people of Western Province as a result the people of Southern Province have to be denied development. What a strange way of running the affairs of a country!! Anyway what else did you expect from these….

  14. $35m = 5 Basic Schools + 2 High Schools + 6 Health posts + 10 Police posts + 10 Km tarred road.

    Instead of all this build them a stadium

  15. Fire fighting, emotional decisions and politics of appeasement can lead to bad decisions. This could end up as a white elephant.

    Anyway, the kind of decisions being made reflects the calibre of PF.

  16. GO KAMBWILI GO. DON’T LISTEN TO ALL THESE VILLAGE BUMPKINS. YOUR MINISTRY MUST IMPLEMENT WHAT IT WAS MEANT TO AND OTHER MINISTRIES MUST CARRY OUT THEIR APPROPRIATE PROJECTS, TOO. YOUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO ENGAGE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN INTO SPORT IN ORDER TO DEVELOP A HEALTH NATION. SPORT FOR ANY NATION IS AS IMPORTANT AS PROVIDING MEDICINE TO PATIENTS. IN FACT SPORT AT THE END OF THE DAY IS ILLNESS PREVENTATIVE MEASURE. A HEALTH NATION CONSUMES LESS REVENUE THROUGH OVER PROVISION OF MEDICAL FACILITIES.

    • yessss…..each ministry has its own goals, plizz go ahead, why shud it be otherwise jst becoz other ministries are not doing wat thy suposed to, jst beasy stealing funds,,,,ataaa…

  17. Am i the only one who is thinking building a stadium in western province is a foolish idea ? I even wonder if that same stadium will ever be filed to capacity.

  18. please learn and understand zambians like football if we have enough studium good one in near future we wil host African cup and towns with studium will benefit more so haveing studium in kaoma is alright we should be short sightness or lazy in thinking

  19. Build a stadium in Livingstone asap! When Chipolopolo engages other countries for international friendlies there you will see how tourism will be boosted in Livingstone. The money raised from there can even be used a build a stadium in North Western Province. In the meantime, lets focus on the basics for Western Province i.e. housing, roads, schools, hospitals etc. Think PF think!

  20. Mr minister, what do u mean when you say cheap stadium. Some thing like woodlands stadium or what? You are confusing people like engineers and scientists. Give an amount range or specifications such as capacity, roof coverage, etc. Use words like cheap, soon, etc to your electorates whom you cheat and give fake promises like 90 days. 

  21. Once the stadium is built, atleast it will provide entertainment for those who cant go to school and hopsitals. infact, there is water inside the stadium, so the locals can also benefit from good clean water. A stadium is a good thing. Good job ba Kambwili.

  22. THE LANGUAGE IS CLEAR .  KAMBWILI IS  PRACTICALLY SAYING THAT THE STADIUM WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TO BE BUILT IN LIVINGSTONE HAS BEEN MOVED TO KAOMA.
    SIMPLE AND STRAIGHT FORWARD.

  23. What a stupid government! I can’t believe anybody would think that building a modren stadium in Kaoma is a bright idea. Where do these Ministers come from? What’s the point of putting a stadium in Kaoma when everything happens in the provincial headquarters Mongu? I have never seen such a group of dull people in my life. They are wasting billions of Kwacha to build a white elephant…2016 is just too far, man.

  24. Those of you condemning, how many stadia have we built since independence. Only one and the other one under construction. Ask Economists and planners, a country is not only about schools and hospitals. In fact, every district has a school and hospital. The government is also building the infrastructure you are mentioning. Be also mindful that we can not go on building hospitals when we have very few health staff to man these facilities. Actually some health facilities are being manned by cleaners. Am sure, you heard that security guard cum radiographer who was operating an xray machine in Mambwe.
    If we had say an Africa cup in Zambia, Kaoma will definitely have very good infrastructure like we saw in small country towns of Angola, Mali Equatorial Guinea.

    • Why even bother to sink money into a stadium when you do not have enough medical staff? Create more colleges for medical staff instead. Can’t you think like that? How long shall we have these shortages of medical staff? For you to even mention us hosting the AFCON shows that you have no plan. Hosting AFCON would be a waste of money in a poor country like ours. We cannot be doing that when kids are still dying of kwashiorkor and marasmus. Let’s be focussed and wise.

  25. Those of you condemning, how many stadia have we built since independence. Only one and the other one under construction. Ask Economists and planners, a country is not only about schools and hospitals. In fact, every district has a school and hospital. The government is also building the infrastructure you are mentioning. Be also mindful that we can not go on building hospitals when we have very few health staff to man these facilities. Actually some health facilities are being manned by cleaners. Am sure, you heard that security guard cum radiographer who was operating an xray machine in Mambwe.
    If we had say an Africa cup in Zambia, Kaoma will definitely have very good infrastructure like we saw in small country towns of Angola, Mali, Burkina Faso. Equatorial Guinea.

  26. Good job ba Kambwili. ignore your critics. Once the stadium is built, atleast it will provide entertainment for those who cant go to school and hopsitals. it will also provide i good clean water. A stadium is a good thing.

  27. That is why FIFA is preferring staging big tournaments like the world cup to the under developing world for the purpose of development to other parts of the world. It has now become illogical to stage a world cup in places like England which already has everything in place. What am trying to say is that sport is not only meant to be for competitions but also for social responsibility. No wonder sports is being taught at universities world over as a discipline because of its importance to national development. Even our own Nkhuruma offers a degree major in Physical Education. Without sports infrastructure, where will be the applicability of such disciplines which will lead to national development?

  28. Lastly, schools and Hospitals are very directly important to any country. However, the definition of development is not only about going to school and taking care of the sick. There are other variables which play an important role to development. Those condemning, am challenging you to tell me that you failed to go to school because there was no school near your area or you failed to access a medical facility.

    • Its about priorities. Zambia is an embarrassment. Life expectancy in Zambia is among the lowest in the world. Zambia is in the bottom 20 countries with a Life expectancy below 50 years. This is due to Zambia not investing in the social sectors i.e. the basic stuff that make life bearable like the health sector and clean water provision
      . I am quite sure if the people in Western Province were given a choice as to what to spend $35m on, they would not pick a football stadium.

  29. I think the presido should not work with directives, as much as he is in a hurry to impress, PF should come up with a medium or long term plan to develop the country. It shows serious lack of planning to relocate the stadium at the president’s word. Please leave the technocrates to do their work professionally.

  30. In the first place today’s Zambia Daily mail News paper on ”Sports shorts’ says that Kambwili wants a 15,000 capacity stadium in Kaoma.This is weed working in somebody’s head, simple. We need a stadium that can enable Zambia host the AFCON 2019 and a stadium that is strategically placed to help market Zambia. Living stone stadium shouldn’t have been postponed……..Do people smoke weed and then all of the sudden it blocks their brains………Cheap politics in Western Province.

  31. Poor foresight by the PF govt-why build a stadium in Kaoma instead of the provincial HQ-Mongu. And since the two stadiums earmarked are small with a capacity of not more 15,000-20,000, why not build at the same time in both Livingstone and Kaoma.

    • Also the PF is in a hurry to develop rural areas, no wonder a stadium in Kaoma. Thats why a university is being built in Chinsali and not in Kasama

    • skv, when you start one thing and abandon it for another, it shows lack of planning. A well defined plan will roll out smoothly without having to hold one project which is already on course because the president has said shows no sits down to come up with development plan. I appreciate that there is only money for one stadium but can we please have a proper plan. What if tomorrow tthe president wants a stadium in Solwezi are we again going to move the money to Solwezi? Thats my point, good intentions without proper planning sivintu.

  32. This is absolutly insane sickness in goverment, where do the goverment get more tax money from Livingstone or Kaoma, I think from Livingstone, now we have to wait for a stadium, Kaoma does not need a stadium it needs Schools, Hosipitals in general kaoma needs agent development mines the stadium, I think people in Livingstone should stand up and fight for this sickness in goverment

  33. The Kenya government gets a lot forexs from its runners. So education should not be about AB C only. You silly guys you stay awake on your Dstv waiting for Usain bolt to run .the guy is now the highest paid sportsman on the the planet.

  34. Mr Minister sir..the stadium will be a bait for Lodges, Guesthouses or even Hotels. Imaging if Zambia is playing Angola or Congo brazavile or if you put the final of the MTN super league there .Awesome! Let the Haters hung while going to the venue atleast i can layby in the Kafue national Park..

  35. Iye mayo – bushe kwena is this how Zambia’s development strategy will be managed? The president wakes up in the morning and dictates that there be a stadium – all the plans come to a stand still. Terrible…! Besides, I agree with the other bloggers – is the Stadium the most urgent thing in Western Province? 

  36. Livingstone dwellers are upset about the change to Kaoma, goes the stadium. Well, well, well, when it is to be given development resources you are able to negatively appreciate by criticising. It is Kaoma who are getting the stadium and the Livingstone dwellers should wait a bit, they will also get 1.\:d/

  37. What a great idea to have a modern stadium in kaoma! Who says kaoma does not deserve it? Reading critisisms here u see how shallow and backward some Zambians can be.Some Zediens even if they have moved they are rigid. Still monkeys. Go on kambwili!

  38. Every corner of the country’d have a fair share. kaoma deserves that.Bakateka naka university kafunika. Why’d even countries emerging from wars b better than us? Ba ZED degrees only 4 talking? IT IS ONLY ZAMBIA IN THE REGION WITH POOR INFRUSTRACURE.

  39. A studium in kaoma…for what? What kaoma needs is a mordern well equipped hospital, teachers houses, clean water, school labs etc..etc…Lord have mercy. This is the problem with democracy…even fools or the insane are allowed to govern, participate in the electral process. It is time for all good men to come to the aid of the country. If you know that you got what it takes to lead, please contest in 2016 as Zed is doomed if you guys do not fully participate/contest. Ba chimbwi no plan…wow

  40. President Sata and his PF Govt have switched into a panic mode for lack of any formula to administer agriculture, energy, finance, health, social needs, sports and development of road infrastructures for their general lack of political ideology. Zambians are witnessing the running of he country by Presidential decrees that are not backed-up by national budgets. This is a case of stabbing the Tongas in the back and use the same weapon in the pretence to heal a wound they inflicted on the Lozis.

  41. They smoke weed together with Renard!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bakushe capacity, 15,000 yachepesha bane at least 30,000………..Why cant they even plan for the future. They think Zambias population will remain pregnant kaya ni stagnant katwishi mwe bene ifyo mulanda. Fyonse ifi shows that people have no plans and don’t have a foresight……

  42. @51. Taliban. The stadium will be the home ground of Luena United; the Army club from Luena baracks. Luena must be in Division One South or something like that. However , this is besides the point. It is still a worst of money. Western Province has no modern referral hospital. And this $35 million would have been better spent on this. How about improving water supply in Kaoma, Mongu , Senanga etc. Or alternatively use the money to convent 10 Basic schools into High schools.

  43. We do not need an ultra modern stadium in Western Province , the President is too quick to try and impress Lozis. We surely need a modern Stadium in Livingstone , the airport is already there plus Hotels but we also need to refurbish the already existing provincial Stadia like the Mongu Stadium can be rebuilt and its capacity increased. In Chipata , there is David Kaunda Stadium which can also be upgraded , the Solwezi Stadium. Once these Stadia are done, then maybe we can ask the Chinese to construct good football grounds in Districts, and Kaoma can be a beneficially of the same. I feel a Stadium constructed in Kaoma will be a waste of resources as it will become a white elephant once inaugurated.

  44. There is nothing wrong with developing sports facilities in Kaoma. It is like some people can not see the bigger picture. I am sure at some point a stadium will be built in Livingstone but it can not only be about that area, all areas in Zambia deserve some level of development.

    A world class sports venue in Kaoma will help develop Kafue National Park as another tourist destination in Zambia. Tourism is not only about Livingstone. It terms of development, Livingstone is well ahead of most areas in Zambia. Let other areas develop also.

    Let us not forget that PF secured the Euro Bond funds so money is not the problem, it is the ideas that are needed just like this one.

    Expect alot of changes and development. There is a railway line that is planned to run through Kaoma.

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