The contractor working on the US$94 million New Lusaka Stadium, Shanghai Construction Group is four months ahead of schedule in the construction of the ultra Morden facility.
The company has so far managed to do 60 percent of the works and still remains with over a year to complete all the works at the stadium scheduled for completion by January 2014.
Transport, Works, Supply and Communications Permanent Secretary Florence Chawelwa expressed happiness with the development, saying government wants to see both foreign and local contractors complete their works on schedule.
ZANIS reports that speaking in Lusaka today when she toured the facility to check on the progress made so far, Ms Chawelwa was also impressed with the quality of works that the contractor has done.
She said the project is of great importance to Government as huge sums of money have gone towards the construction of the stadium.
She said it is the desire of Government to see the project completed on schedule, adding that it will do everything possible to ensure all the challenges the contractor was facing are dealt with promptly for the works to go on smoothly.
The Works and Supply Permanent Secretary said government will engage the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC) and the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) to ensure constant supply of water and electricity to the site for the works to run smoothly.
And the PS said Government will deal sternly with anyone found stealing and vandalising equipment at the site.
Commenting on revelations by the contractor that theft and vandalism of equipment at the site has become common, Ms Chawelwa warned perpetrators of the vice to desist from engaging in such acts saying Government will ensure they are caught and prosecuted.
She said a report will be given to the Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani over the development so the police can start investigating the matters and bring the perpetrators to book.
She also urged the media to sensitise the public on the importance of preserving the country’s infrastructure for the public to appreciate the benefits of having good infrastructure in the country.
Speaking earlier, Shanghai Construction Group Project Manager at the New Lusaka Stadium Zhang Zhiwei said electricity and water supply still remain a challenge for the construction process.
Mr Zhang said the site suffers water shortages and power interruptions for a couple of hours every day.
He also complained of theft and vandalism at the site saying these activities were impacting negatively on the progress of works.
Mr. Zhang called on the Zambian Government to educate its people on the need to preserve and safeguard the facility as it was of economic benefit to the country.
And Mr Zhang said his company which has also been contracted to carry out the construction and rehabilitation of the Independence stadium will commence the works next month.
ZANIS
You mean this is the ”indipondo stadium” we used to go to…stand on that hill and watch the rest of tha game from ”pa lupili” .I left Zed a long time ago but this is good,At the rate things are going,I see Zambia hosting the World cup very soon,I mean very soon like the year 5000 when you and me will be no more
Makabeli walitumpa ai ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! ha!
:(( hahahaha
Ok, nomba we want games played here in Ndola so choncholiz bola panshi. Where are u rushing to???? Good job though
I thought it was to be completed in 2013, actually im positive completion date is 2013. nevertheless we anxiously await this marvel!
incomplete news -what is the capacity of the new stadium? is it biger or better than the Mwana wa staduim – the picture shows only part of the outside
Bwalya yes its bigger, its going to be a 60000 seating capacity facility and unlike Levy, it will be covered all round. Its going to be a better one
Good work made possible by the previous govt. and now the PF govt. should be appreciated for making sure that necessary infrastructure for the development of Zambia is central to PF’s duties. Where progress is taking place, it should be noticed and those who are facilitating the processes underlying what we know as improvements should be congratulated. Those in power should be encouraged to do more in terms of building other projects. By I am not a supporter of Sata but good work, please keep it up PF & Sata
Let them finish and leave the country soon because i fear for the small girls in mandevu. The chinamen are fond of patronising the compounds in the evening and i tell you, there will be alot of pregnancies by these people.
The world is a global village.How can you suggest that the Chinese go back to their country and yet you are also in a foreign land?
Me TWO I fear for the dogs in mandevu
Indipondo!
I do not understand, there will be two stadia next to each other?
I dont understand this logic as well.
You don’t  need to understand just look if you have eyes. Even the blind man s dog can see this.Â
2 stadiums next to each other does not make sense in Zambia. I don’t care if you’ve seen it in another country, it just does not make sense here! Hosting major events simultaneously in those stadiums would be disastrous. Traffic congestion in Lusaka is already a nightmare, now imagine transporting 60000+ spectators to one destination on a Saturday afternoon! And where are they going to park their cars and buses?
I fail to see how you all think there’s going to be games held on the outside stadium whilst one goes on inside.Â
Hell do you even know what football is?
For your info, the olympic grounds are just a stone throw away too. It doest pain.
We have the famous Ellis Park Stadium in Jo-burg just a stone’s throw from the Johannesburg Stadium. Noone in their right minds would host two matches simultaneously in both stadia
The picture appears to have been taken some time back because the western of the stadium is at roof canopy level not what is displayed.
The new stadium has a capacity of 60,000 whilst The Ndola one is 40,000. Its design is like that of soccer city in SA. No 8, Indeed we shall have 2 modern stadia next to each other, The leveling of the ground for new stadia in Livingstone and Chingola has started too, Great news indeed!
@ BOOM & WHATEVER How ironic that you claim not to be a supporter of Sata and yet want to credit him with things he doesn’t deserve. If you want to thank anyone, it is MMD, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. When you were voting on 20 September 2011, the Chinese were already busy with the works. Please tell Sata to start something that you will thank him for. Dont steal other people’s credit, napapata.
R.Bs plans at wek,we u miss u ba Bwezani….
This Mwanawasa ‘s work not alabi.
My friend this is not RB’s work! These stadia were initiated by The Late Mwanawasa! RB was trying to still the glory. All the stadiums in Ndola, Lusaka and Livingstone is Mwanawasa. However, the Chingola one is PF.
If construction works are 4 months ahead, there are two things:
1. the planning engineer is a joker.
2. i doubt the strength and stability of the stadium
3. It is possible also that they are abusing the poor zambian workers to work overtime, even at night.
Ufisanji mambala?
@Engineer, I understand your concerns. This could be a Fixed Price contract and so the Project plan may have been based on a Monday-Saturday half day week. But knowing the Chinese work ethic, they then work Monday-Saturday and Sunday half day. On a three or four year project such gains can be made, although I understand on strength purposes, curing of concrete has to be adhered to otherwise the desired designed strength of the structure wont be met, if the are using standard Portland cement
I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THE APPALLING OUTSIDE STATE OF LEVY STADIUM IN NDOLA ON THE INTERNET. THERE WAS DUST ALLOVER THE PLACE- NO REAL MAINTENANCE WORK IS DONE THERE. IT’S AMBIANCE LOOKED REALLY OLD. AS IF IT WAS BUILT DECADES AGO. CAN’T THE STADIUM AUTHORITIES PLANT TREES, TURF, AND FLOWERS. CAN’T THEY ALSO PAVE MOST OF THE SURROUNDINGS? A GOOD RADIUS OF THAT STADIUM MUST BE A SHOWCASE AND A TOURIST ATTRACTION INSTEAD OF GOING TO WASTE ALREADY.
THERE’S NO CONTROL WHERE VEHICLES DRIVE AND PARK. NEITHER, IS THERE FOR PEDESTRIANS.
Good work ba GRZ for engaging our tiger partners.
happy with the engineers (@ 13 and 14 ) input in this debate and I wish other professional could make such comments on other topics
Please give credit where it is due. This stadium was at a site clearance stage when the PF govt took over and would have easily abandoned it and directed the resources to other projects of its choice had it wanted. We all know that the MMD planned to re-built State House whose plans were displayed. The PF is not obliged to execute this project. The UNIP govt started tarring the Itezhitezhi access road before the 1991 election. The MMD abandoned this project when it came into power. The ring road to decongest the Lusaka town centre, which is a good project, may be an MMD conceived project but if the PF govt executes it, it should be commended. It woud be a bad govt that refuses to execute a good project because it was conceived by the previous govt.
@Joseph Sakhar. Your argument is the same argument that people were using against RB- that he was taking credit for projects which were started or initiated by the late Mwanawasa to the extent that he was even displaying his picture on billboards at the project sites. My argument is that he should be given credit for having completed the projects. He could have given all sorts of excuses typically lack of funds had he wanted for not completing the projects.. We all know of projects that have taken long to complete such as the Bottom Road in Southern Province.
Very true
“seen from the independence stadium ” you lazy people why didn’t you just walk there and give us a better picture? You were already there pls!
MMD’s plans at work. Paya Farmer govt is busy unleashing goats and cows on golf courses. He he he he he ehhhhhhhhhhh
LT this photo is from one Chinese reporter! Why not give us your own and cite the source of your “plagiarism?” Thanks though for trying!
I hope its not another concrete eyesore like the Levy Stadium; this is 2012 we need visually appealing architectural designs…. again the writer of this article lamentably fails to highlight why it is an ultra Modern facility and what the seating capacity of the stadium.Â
Foolish MMD abandoned good UNIP projects. Wise PF has continued good MMD projects. The PF has come up with good projects like land-linking Zambia 8000.
And yes, this site will have the main stadium which is under construction and the independence nearby. This is in close proximity with the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC). At OYDC, another Chinese company is building a modern swimming pool with spectator terraces for 2012 youth games. This area will be a sports complex! We want Mandevu and Chipata young people to take to the running tracks and the pitch! PF tuleteka kekekekeke
and when these stadiums are done, we expect you to stop this inferior habit of supporting the english premier league without any remorse. we want you to start going to watch local games. very few zambians even know which team is currently on top of our league. who our local strikers are. what jerseys national assembly team wears or nkana red devils. stop this chelsea,arsenal,manchester frenzy we seem to have. am not saying stop watching international football,buti namuchilamo sana. you would rather go and watch a televised match on super sport of chelsea when our local teams are playing at edwin emboyela stadium. stop it. why are you so obsessed with everything thats foreign. stop it, i beg. and am ready to challenge anyone her who thinks otherwise,you brainwashed,colonised imbeciles.
why should I go and stand for 90 minutes and be pick pocketed as I go out when I can watch Millwall in the comfort of my Buseko chairs?
Zagaze nibu Uncle Tom fye. When the master’s house is on fire the brainwashed slave shouts “Our house is on fire” So when the colonial master’s team is Manchester United “our team is…..” Whatever the Colonial master idolises I idolise.
@zagaze, I sympathise with you. Unfortunately, amenshi yakonka gradient. Quality and standards of both facilities and PLAY matter. People want good and exciting entertaiment, not mediocre shows. It is very good to develop facilities and I guess it is the most difficult thing. The other side of the equation is to invest in good coaches and and young professionals. Do we have any professional team pa Zed? We could have Chinese and Mongolia stars plying their trade at Nkana.
Quality doesnt fall from heaven. It is built by the locals not by foreigners. So Zambian soccer fan should build quality by supporting their local league not colonial masters’ leagues
Yes this is great. The old stadium will also be renovated and the new one is much bigger than the old one all in one place. Tabeula mastadium aya ka! Thanks to Levy and MMD for initiating this lovely project. PamaFi tulageniko naimwe just beakering and no results bafikili!
you should have built this stadium somewhere far from matero and chipata compound. these people will just vandalise this infrastructure in just a few months. pantu ine,shilemona bwino. we could even have put this new stadium ku chalala area. atleast people there are civilised.
@ #10 Â “imphi kumawa”
CHINGOLA? Is it really true that one of these modern stadiums is to be built in CHINGOLA? In my view that would be a big mistake. I am from Chingola. I now live in diaspora but Chingola is my hometown. Did my school at Nakatindi & Chikola high school. So it’s my home BUT Kitwe would have been a better option. For starters, it’s home to our nations BIGGEST local DERBY. That alone is reason enough. But if anyone cared for more; Kitwe is the most central(hub) town in the province. One shot direct bus ride from all other CB towns (except Chililabombwe). Unlike Chingola, Kitwe is a CITY. The nation’s 2nd largest & the Copperbelt’s LARGEST city. Who chose Chingola over Kitwe & for what reasons?Â
1. Kitwe pollution
2. Disease outbreaks
3. Why concentrate infrastructure development in one area?
Lufwi Nyemba I agree with you although Chingola is going to become the new hub because the urban population will now shift to NorthWest
gud job China
Bane when you make an estimate and say we will finish at at a certain point in time, then you are 4 months ahead, then ma sum ku ma first yenze wrong and therefore we doubt your papers and engineering. Maybe it is Zingineering(Zed engineering)?
And then this expensive white elephant will be allowed to decay just like every building in central Lusaka.We surely have wrong priorities since lots of schools are still in 14th century conditions,our hospitals are a shame and most zambians still fetch water from contaminated ponds.
Demolish the old eye sore independence stadium please and use that money to build a stadium in Kitwe. Besides knowing pa Zed, you will not manage to maintain two stadia next to one another.Â
Player of the year winners
1968 Â Godfrey Chitalu (Kitwe United)
1969 Â Boniface Simutowe (Kabwe Warriors)
1970 Â Godfrey Chitalu (Kabwe Warriors)
1971 Â Richard Stephenson (Kabwe Warriors)
1972 Â Dickson Makwaza (Mufulira Wanderers)
1973 Â Â not known
1974 Â Bernard Chanda (Rhokana United)
1975 Â Edwin Mbaso (Ndola United)
1976 Â Alex Chola (Mufulira Blackpool)
1977 Â Vincent Chileshe (Roan United)
1978 Â Godfrey Chitalu (Kabwe Warriors)
1979 Â Godfrey Chitalu (Kabwe Warriors)
1980 Â Kaiser Kalambo (Ndola United)
1981 Â Michael Musonda (Power Dynamos)
1982 Â Peter Kaumba (Power Dynamos)
1983 Â Ashios Melu (Mufulira Wanderers)
1984 Â Kalusha Bwalya (Mufulira Wanderers)
1985 Â Jack Chanda (Kabwe Warriors)
1986 Â Johnson Bwalya (Mufulira Wanderers)
1987 Â Ashios Melu (Mufulira Wanderers)
1988 Â Wisdom Chansa (Power Dynamos FC)
1989 Â Derby Mankinka (Profund Warriors)
1990 Â Gibby Mbasela (Nkana FC)
1991 Â Maybin Mugaiwa (Kabwe Warriors)
1992-04 Â not known
2005 Â Collins Mbesuma (Kaiser Chiefs/Roan Utd)
It would be interesting to see how the construction works have played out on the planning charts, i.e. Gantt chart, to see where the 4 months gain has come from. As for the two stadiums being located next to each other, it is very odd indeed to say the least in a Country that lacks such facilities. But since this is now water under the bridge, on the positive side, the two stadiums will hopefully NOT duplicate maintenance equipment but share as much as possible. i.e. Synergy. Â Â Â Â Â
How about some more photos of the stadium?
i thought they would have considered building a new stadium elsewhere and just reconstruct independence stadium…that would count 2 modern stadiums..i hope there is some logic to this madness..anyway great thinkers luck common sense..
 #1 Ha aaa! U have reminded me about ku lupili!
Used 2 go & pray there!
this is why #12.1 & 12.2 made a mistake in voting. lusaka stadium is purely RBs but ndola and renovation of independence stadiums are levys’ don’t confuse things..