President Lazarus Chakwera is set to inaugurate the long-awaited M’mbelwa Stadium in Mzimba on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, despite the facility still being incomplete.
The development came to light on Thursday, July 17, when Minister of Public Works Jacob Hara visited the stadium site. During the visit, Hara instructed the contractor to carry out temporary finishing works on some parts of the stadium so that the President can proceed with the inauguration ceremony next week.
However, Malawi24 understands that the contractor rejected some of the minister’s additional requests. Manobec Construction Company Project Manager, Victor Msowoya, confirmed in an interview that while the stadium will be inaugurated as scheduled, construction is still ongoing.
“Even though the President will inaugurate it, construction is still in progress,” Msowoya said.
He further revealed that the cost of the project has significantly increased over the years.
“When construction started in 2018, the budget was K2.56 billion. It later rose to K5.3 billion, and currently, the cost has reached K10.80 billion,” he explained, adding that the government has been consistent in honouring its payment commitments.
Malawi24 has also gathered that President Chakwera, who is the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) presidential candidate in the September 16, 2025, General Elections, is expected to use the inauguration event to launch the party’s campaign in the Northern Region.
Meanwhile, Hara declined to speak to journalists during his visit to the site and expressed surprise at their presence.
“I am not talking to the media; this is an internal site meeting,” said Hara.
