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SOMHLOLO REHAB COSTS TO HIT OVER E90M

28/02/2023 08:41:00 Machawe Fakudze

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MBABANE – The expenditure of rehabilitation of the Somhlolo National Stadium is estimated to reach over E90 million by next month.

This is contained in the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini Book Estimates, which was released this past Friday. The government, according to estimates, allocated the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs E15 million local funds towards the rehabilitation of the stadium in the year under review. There is no allocation for 2023/24, as the upgrades are expected to be concluded soon. The venue remains closed for public use pending finalisation of the rehabilitation programme.

Banned

The refurbishment of the main arena in the country started in 2019 after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) banned the stadium from hosting international category ‘A’ matches, which saw the national team Sihlangu and teams representing the country playing home games in South Africa. The estimates show that the ministry, which is currenlly under the leadership of former Sihlangu gaffer Harries ‘Madze’ Bulunga, has actually spent E79 771 000 for the upgrading of the stadium. The estimated expenditure by March 31, 2023 is expected to hit over E90 million (E94 771 000). According to the ministry, the figures are reflective of all the rehabilitation work the government has done on the stadium since it was constructed.
It was not just a reflection of the current rehabilitation work, which begun in 2019. The ministry had used E25 million by March last year.

The construction of recreational facilities in the four regions of the country, on the other hand, has been deferred; these projects were allocated E13 million. The government has also once again not allocated funds for the construction of a new stadium. The government needs to spend at least over E1 billion to build an upmarket stadium. Meanwhile, Minister Bulunga highlighted in his remarks on Friday at the 2023 budget speech, which was delivered by the Minister of Finance, Neal Rijkenberg, in Parliament revealed that there was unfortunately no money allocated for a new stadium and their plan to partner with a private enterprise for the construction of the stadium was at its infant stage. “Unfortunately, currently there is no private entity or company that wants to assist us, but our discussion are around a person who can have the funds, because government at the moment cannot have funds to fit in the construction of a stadium in his budget ceiling,” Bulunga said. He further said around E2.5 billion was needed for the construction of a stadium.