Youths and sports committees in Phalombe have today petitioned against the Phalombe District Council’s decision to buy a lorry instead of constructing a stadium.
On 21st March, Malawi24 reported that the Phalombe District Council snubbed a proposal to construct a stadium and instead opted to borrow money and buy a lorry.
Speaking in an interview after presenting the petition, Phalombe district football committee chairperson Boniface Mchinyira said they want the council to change its decision in 10 days’ time.
“We have given them two weeks to respond to our petition and change their decision. We shall take a number of actions if they fail to do so,” he threatened.
Mchinyira added that youths and people who follow sports in the district are tired of being used by the members of the council mainly councillors and Members of Parliament (MPs) in issues of politics.
According to the petition which this publication has seen, the youths and the sports family have threatened to boycott competitions organized by the MPs or councillors.
It adds that they shall hold mass demonstrations as well as vigils and petition President Peter Mutharika to intervene on the matter if the initial measures fail to work.
When contacted to comment on the matter, chairperson for the district’s council Kalepa Mawere said the people who have petitioned the council have rushed because the council cannot construct the stadium using borrowed money.
“We haven’t dumped the idea of constructing the stadium only that we can’t do it with borrowed money. We will try to ask well-wishers to help with funds to construct it,” he told Malawi24.
During the full council where they agreed to buy the lorry, finance committee chairperson Damson Chiphaka said in his report that they came up with that proposal so that when people hire the lorry it should bring money some of which shall go to their honorarium which has now been raised by 25 percent.
