K9.4bn Olympic swimming pool causes stir
“We don’t want a swimming pool, we need a hospital.”
At a time Malawians are economically paralysed crashed, due to Covid 19, students dropping out due to lack of fees, potholes killing Malawians on daily basis in our, the government is spending over K9 billion for a swimming pool.
There is a high-pitched chorus of disapproval out there as people seem not to get the rationale of construction of a swimming pool another major referral hospital.
The Social Media influencer, reacting to the news of the new swimming pool, Idriss Ali Nassah sarcastically posted on his social media: “The father of a starving family borrows money to buy a large flat screen TV to impress the neighbours.
“The TV is high definition,” he says in his defence. “The picture quality is perfect”.
That father, ladies and gentlemen, is a moron.
Malawi Government decision to construct a K9.4 billion Olympic standard swimming pool has caused stir in social media space.”
“The Ministry of Sports has awarded a Chinese company a contract worth K 9.4 billion to construct the Olympic standard swimming pool and its ancillary structures at Kamuzu Institute of Sports.
According to a notification of intention to award contract that the ministry has flown, the works will be done by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation.
However, some Malawians have taken up in various social media platforms to accuse the government of extravagance and having priorities upside down.
Many Malawians have rebuffed the government over the project.
“As always, our priorities are upside down. We don’t need a swimming pool, we need a hospital,” commented Bernadette Munthali.
But government apologists are defending the move saying the project is funded by the international development partners.
This comes as Malawi is slated to host the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games.
Sports Council Acting Executive Secretary, Henry Mereka is quoted by a local paper that the swimming pool was estimated at K20 billion.
However, online search engines show that cost of Olympic-size swimming pools is between $300,000 and $500,000 (K237 Million and K395 Million).
In the 2020/21 budget allocation, the Kamuzu Institute for Sports got the lion’s share of the ministry’s allocation after being allocated K1 billion for its rehabilitation works.
In total, the Ministry of Youth and Sports was allocated about K7 billion of the K2.2 trillion 2020/21 National Budget.
The allocation saw the Department of sports projects getting an allocation of K2.6 billion.
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So the Acting Executive Secretary of sports council just being yes bwana so that he should be confirmed.Mereka is cadet he wants sympathy from Govt
Shaaaa!!…a Malawi daily kumangoti chipatala chipatala…. deteriorating healthcare system as an excuse against great infrastructure development…
Tikanike kumanga the great interchange at area 18 , tikanike kumanga the nice Bingu stadium …..tikanike kumanga the Olympic standard swimming pool . ..tizingokhalira healthcare, healthcare , healthcare daily….mmmm…..
The project is great let the govt constuct it…brovo our leaders
Miss placed priorities.
This is the very same conduct we didn’t like with DPP.
Look at the state of our healthcare facilities, schools and welfare in general.
I don’t think citizens should allow this stupid project to happen.
aMalawi, we are on our own. These politicians are in for their own agenda and they are all the same. Disappointing.
All that money to build a swimming pool which will hardly be used and how about maintenance costs of this size of pool this has not been thought throughly
You should be building a decent hospital accessible to every Malawian from all walks of life not only for the rich
But nooo build swimming pool adyemo ntchito kuba basi
Every Ministry is given it’s own budget. Ngati a health sakufuna kumabgs zipatala sikuti a sports ndamene awamangire no. Chitukuko does not mean only constructing zipatala kapena masukulu no. There are so many hospitals where lazy workers never treat patients. This results in the society to see ngati ziptala nzochepa. Ziptala zambiri with lazy workers is nothing. Anthuso mumadabwitsa kwambiri. Late Mia said anufuna zipatala every 5km radius munkatakana. Let mukuti koma zipatala. Mungofuna ndalama miziba popanda zooneka basi. Mbuzi
This is a great project. They’re not just building a swimming pool but a sports and recreation facility. Currently the only firm of recreation in Lilongwe is drinking beer at Bwandilo and Matchandi. We need variety. Infrastructure is not just roads and hospitals. In any case K9 billion is just 1 million dollars. What roads can that build you? That’s not even enough to buy Putin’s house. As someone said, this is a drop in the ocean when you consider the entire budget. We need that sports complex and swimming pool. Other African countries like Ivory Coast and Ghana have… Read more »
If funding is donation then it is okay because the donor availed funds just for that Sports Swimming facility . Now where are local citizen contractors for the job. Does it mean 50 years after independence no MALAWIAN ENGINEERING CONTRACTORS available for such types of projects.
There is nothing wrong with that…..the funds comes from the donah the rule of the donn is to what they…we can hav thousands of medical infrastructure it means nothing if the,s medicine
The decision to build such a swimming pool, which will hardly be used is stupid and illogical. This is a gloss waste of money. Malawi has several critical infrastructure development needs (roads, hospitals, schools, etc). The mister of sports should be ashamed of his stupid priorities. If this project hasn’t started, it should be stopped.
You just have a small mind. This is a great investment that will generate billions in revenue and nurture talent while offering a healthy recreation option instead of youths drinking kachasu
Do we still want Malawi to look like a village? The Kamuzu Institute of Youth was neglected for almost 26 years and was a place where the youths around Kawale were spending time in sports. Yes there are priorities like roads, schools, hospitals and other things. We still have to make Malawi a better place for our children. The problem we will have is that after construction some other stupid leader will come and say it was a waste of money. This is what happened to the New State House. Bakili neglected it and made it Parliament. Thanks Bakili was… Read more »
Are you sure you will prioritize a ‘how-much’ billion kwacha swimming pool over other essential services in the sectors of agriculture, health and education?
It’s not yet time for the swimming pool I guess, there’s alot to be done like medication in public hosps, road construction, bridges etc… How many people are going to use the swimming pool and how many do go to the hospitals?
That’s misplaced priorities SAD! SAD! SAD! even if I got an offer for a big TV screen today, I will tell the donor I am okay without one instead I want some help to upgrade my IT skills. If they can’t help I will wait for a skills oriented donor!
So what happens if they drowne? No high tech. Hospital to go to?
And if they want to visit Salima, the pot holes are waiting to take them UPSTAIRS ………… oh my word !!!!!🤔🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Ndinu opwalala oganiza mopepera. Mukuona ngati just concentrating on agriculture ,health and eduacation dziko likwera Neve. Other investments are equally important. Let the responsible departments construct what they planned. If health department planned nothing basi vuto ndilawo longokonda kudya allowances at the expense of constructions. Dzipatala munenadxoso kuli corruption yokhayokha. Zaziii