Bingu gives Flames 67-seater bus
Malawi President Bingu WA Mutharika has fulfilled his promise which he pledged some years ago to donate a 67-seater bus to the national football team, the Flames.
The Bus was handed over by Minister of Youth Development and Welfare Symon Vuwa Kaunda to Sports Council on Monday.
“As of how the bus will be assigned, that is for Sports Council to decide. The bottom line is that the President (Bingu wa Mutharika) has fulfilled his pledge to the Flames,” Vuwa told The Nation newspaper.
The Bus was supplied by Mike Appeal and Gatto at an estimated K30 million.
However, there are mixed reaction on the donated bus as it has been branded Sports Council instead of Flames.
It is not known what will happen to the bus which was pledged by 2010 South Africa World Cup Local Organization Committee’s (LOC).
According to the paper, LOC has provided the mother recipient, the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa), with eight buses for distribution to its members, which Malawi happens to be a member.
Football Association of Malawi president Walter Nyamilandu and Sports Council executive secretary George Jana were reported to be in South Africa for the bus handovers.
Flames mentor Kinnah Phiri praised government for the bus donation and described it as timely.
“This bus will help us in a number of ways like easing transport problems whenever we travel for friendly matches. We can now arrange friendly matches in Zambia, Tanzania with this bus, “said Phiri, who will embark on a scouting mission in all the three regions of Malawi.