Despite claims that Parliament approved K50 million for Mzuzu Youth Centre (MYC) construction last year, the government is yet to remit a single tambala to the project which has stalled for seven years.
During the project’s second ground breaking ceremony on December 19 2016, Minister of Youth, Sports and Manpower Development, Henry Mussa, pledged the release of funds for the project by January 2017.
The money was for levelling the ground, clearing off the site’s access road and utility bills for the project which resumed in February only for the work to be suspended after seven days.
Construction Committee Chairperson, Gibson Chisale, attributed the delay to, what he claimed the government’s “persistent political games on the project”.
Chisale said he was shocked by the government’s failure to meet its only obligation—clearing of the land—before the Chinese government proceeds with the whole construction of the K200 million project.
“We have gone for almost two months now without any progress. This is not the first time. The Ministry assured us that the amount has been approved.
“But we are wondering why it is taking them so long to remit the funds. We were once told by some government officials that the money was diverted towards the launch of Bingu National Stadium (BNS) [on January 28], unfortunately the government is not coming out clearly,” Mussa said.
He further said the committee is under intense pressure due to the debt.
Mussa conceded that the government had failed to live up to its promise.
He could neither deny nor confirm that the delay was due to the government’s diversion of the funds.
“Those are weird and unfounded allegations. The problem is that you want to attach politics to everything. We will do the rest of the processes and all the works will resume in the forthcoming weeks,” he said.
Mussa added that his ministry was not to blame for the delay of the project’s commencement.
He said the ministry was waiting for the Treasury’s clearance on the matter.
Mussa’s assurance is not new considering that his predecessors; Jafali Mussa, Henry Chimunthu Banda, Symon Vuwa Kaunda, Enoch Chihana and Grace Chiumia, made similar promises during their reigns at the ministry.
Meanwhile, it is reported that the committee owes Plant and Vehicle Hire and Engineering Services (PVHES) K3 million in fuel costs, hiring of two caterpillars and allowances for machine operators.
MYC has been a ghost project for seven years.
Parliament first approved K30 million for the project in 2010, then an additional K20 million in 2011, before K200 million was allocated in 2014.
Leave a Reply