Bullets, Nomads stadia should be put on hold, fund Covid-19 fight – HRDC
The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has suggested that the construction of stadia for local football giants Nyasa Big Bullets and Be Forward Wanderers on tax-payers money should be put on hold to direct resources to fight coronavirus outbreak.
President Peter Mutharika during the May 21 Tripartite Elections campaign promised to build stadia for the country’s two top teams and an allocation of K1.6 billion has been made in the 2019/20 National Budget.
In a statement made available to Nyasa Times, HRDC said government should not use taxpayers’ money to build stadia for the ‘two private entities’ when the country is facing virus crisis.
“The outbreak of Coronavirus should also provide an opportunity for government to reconsider it’s priorities; whether it should continue investing in construction of stadiums (for Bullets and Nomads) at the expense of public health infrastructures and equipment,” reads the HRDC statement.
The statement added: “We should make sure that resources generated for Covid-19 should tricked down to the people that are in dire need.”
The coalition said resources should t be used to buy ventilators and Covid-19 personal protective equipment for health workers other than build stadiums for private companies.
“We are faced with a situation of saving lives while at the same time saving the economy. We need to be careful by looking at vulnerabilities,” reads HRDC statement signed by its acting chairperson Gift Trapence, national coordinator Luke Tembo, regional coordinator (Centre) Billy Mayaya, coordinator (North) Happy Mhango, coordinator (Eastern Region) Madalitso Banda and coordinator (South) Masauko Thawe.
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EEEH ISAZAMANGIDWE!!
Sipaja HRDC ndi opposition ndi ana kamodzi ,zomwe akupanga awa a HRDC ndi zotumidwa ndi mcp
It’s just a virus.
Nanu a hrdc nkhani izitha, don’t hide behind Covid19 we already know you don’t approve of the stadium construction. You should remember that The measures taken by govt so far are adequate bearing in mind the number of cases in Malawi is low with very mild symptoms.
Hrdc should also remember that chilima’s government has also announced additional measures including command center hence there is no need to misallocate stadium money
This administration has its priorities topsy turvy. Very incompetent regime. Building stadia for private organisations with public money is wrong for a start. People aiding and acknowledging this behaviour are selfish pathetic individuals. That money should be spent on important public services such as health, food and the like….
If you want, hold fresh elections, not the stadium construction.