Friday, March 29, 2024

Save KPF Says Ex-Kitwe Mayor

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Ex-Kitwe Mayor Cosmas Bwalya has written Sports Minister Chishimba Kambwili urging government to take urgent remedial measures aimed at saving the dilapidated Kitwe Playing Fields (KPF) from total destruction.

KPF, once a beautiful sports complex, houses Garden Park Stadium which as two football pitches, a rugby field, a tennis court and a gym.

In a letter dated 27 August,2012, Bwalya bemoaned the current poor state of KPF describing it as a sorry sight.

“I wish to draw your attention to KPF in Kitwe which as been neglected for a long time and has been vandalised.The part of the boundary wall has collapsed and people from Kamitondo Township are now walking through the football and rugby fields to go to Parklands and a foot path has formed,” the letter read.

“It is saddening to see such assets being neglected and going to waste in such a manner and in a country that is striving so much to put its name on the world map of sports in various disciplines.” Bwalya stated.

He also appealed to Kitwe Mayor Chileshe Bweupe and area Member of Parliament Luxon Kazabu to ensure that KPF is revamped.

“As you are no doubt aware, the infrastructure at KPF has been extensively damaged and vandalised. I am appealing to Kitwe Mayor Chileshe Bweupe and the area MP to take urgent remedial section to save the complex from total destruction and also caution and draw the attention of the general and public to safeguard such sporting facilities for the benefit of their children and future generations,” Bwalya added.

While the rugby field was recently revived at KPF, the tennis court is non functional and club houses are not inhabitable.

18 COMMENTS

  1. Very soon, we will see someone building a house at KPF. Kitwe major do something to preserve that park. To be honest, i really dont understand role of mayors in Zambia. Apart from officiating at functions, they do nothing. All major cities in Zambia are littered with gabbage, citizens drink dirty or supply is erratic, we dont hear mayor being concerned about such issues….they just wait for invitations to officiate at functions

  2. LT, DO WE HAVE TO REMIND YOU THAT YOU ARE AN ELECTRONIC NEWSPAPER? AS AN ELECTRONIC NEWSPAPER YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO GIVE US MORE IMAGES FOR YOUR TOPIC. SO, WHERE ARE KPF IMAGES? MOST PEOPLE DON’T LIKE TOO MUCH READING- THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE A PICTURE RATHER THAN TOO MUCH LITERATURE.

  3. #1 YOU ARE VERY RIGHT. MERES (or are they mayors) ARE JUST PLACE HOLDERS. AND HOW CAN A NORMAL COUNTRY WITH NORMAL PEOPLE HAVE NO LEISURE PARKS? UK IS A VERY SMALL COUNTRY. BUT LOOK AT THE LEISURE PARKS THEY HAVE- WHICH EVEN GENERATE INCOME FOR THEIR LOCAL COUNCILS. IN ONE BOROUGH THERE CAN EVEN BE MINIMUM 5 VERY BIG PARKS UP TO EVEN 3KM SQUARED AREA. PLEASE, LET’S HAVE LAND…

  4. Why not ask a minister of works, if the PeeFu has such a minister. Why ask Chi Kambwili, and even heard that it wants to challenge Lubinda for president next year.

  5. M.a.t.o.l.e. s.a.n.a b.o.n.s.e. a.m.a. politicians in Zed…each one for himself kinda thing youu wonder why we vote for them in the first place  I say more ya’ll know wats up down there  I miss my Zambia at the end of the day. Love and peace to ya’ll good people out there. !!!

  6. Policy makers in this country are not very rational and never make decisions based on facts and are biased towards certain towns and cities. In case some bloggers are ignorant of this fact, Kitwe is the second largest city after Lusaka; Ndola comes third after Lusaka and Kitwe; and Livingstone, a distant third. But what have successful governments been doing when it comes to the location of sports facilities: they are just concentrating all of them in Lusaka, Ndola, and Livingstone! The second largest city, Kitwe, can only boast of the privately owned Arthur Davies Stadium and a dilapidated KPF! Can any one tell me one country in the world where the second largest city is denied an international stadium? These things only happen in Zambia

  7. #8 i hear your cries mate. However kitwe is the most disorganised town in Zambia second only to lusaka. it actually needs to be relocated to a new place not that filthy place you call town centre. How do you change the whole CBD into a market, bus stop, shopping mall, restaurant bar, name it, all in one place. Nowonder idi.ots calling themseves jerabos thrive there.

    • #9 You have brought an important point. In the 90, it used to be a beautiful town with no congestion. Just last year, i visited my mother there. Quite alright th population has grown but the town has not expanded in terms of infrastructure development. Everything is lumped in one place. Just there at the town center, there is that big market next to the coach station. When going to get on a bus/coach, you have to push yourself through the crowds,small minibuses, coach station all in one place. Its so annoying when you arrive there, if you have a big suitcase, you cant push it, either put it on your head/shoulders or it will disappear coz thieves will snatch from you. Then talk of taxi drivers and their cororas all parked there, then our own modified wheelbarrows,chaos!!! and no one cares

  8. # 9. It’s a pity I am forced to respond to your very sarcastic response. You haven’t even bothered to respond to my question: why the second largest city should be denied an international stadium. For your own information, there are plans to develop a new CBD across the Kafue river after the construction of the Mufuchani bridge is completed in the next 20 months. Investors are already vying for land in the area to put up new housing schemes, industrial parks, and shopping malls in the 12,000 hectares of land available there.

  9. #10, sorry my man if you find my comment sarcastic. But deep down you know that what i have stated is fact. that city is like no one runs it, anyone can do as they wish. but as you said if there plans for new developments then its a welcome endevour. But as things stand today, that place is a nuisance. compare it to ndola next door, even luanshya or chingola, the differnce is huge. Atleast all the nonsense is left in the compounds like masala etc. but the town centres are not as bad, you can see some order atleast unless it has also followed suit. 

  10. Its hard to believe these stories and how politicians cant see further than their noses.However theres good news for Zed next year.watch this space.GOD BLESS ZAMBIA.

  11. Catacomb,

    You seem to have a deeply ingrained animosity towards Kitwe. The disorder you are referring to is geographically limited to one section of the CBD along Chisokone avenue. where the market is located Does that one section of the CBD typify the architecture of the whole city? And may I know why you are evading my main of issue of contention – the denial of an international stadium to Kitwe?

  12. Mr ex-mayor sir, if you regulations put in place while you were in office, you might have helped prevent what is happening  now to KPF. Unfortunately that is the only end-point for many structures in the third world. The word “preventive maintainance” does not exist in our vocabulary. My heart bleeds for the ultra modern Mwanawasa  stadium in Ndola. That stadium is high maintainance. More so considering that it was built by our “trusted friends” whose workmanship is legendary worldwide! I wouldn’t be surprised if the Mwanawasa stadium contract had no clause on maintainance. I stand to be corrected.

  13. What nonsense! teh man turned down numerous offers to refurbish the place as the huge bribes he asked for were refused. Same thing is happening in the current regime. You get the politicians you deserve!

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