MCP, PP against naming stadium after Bingu

The opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and the People’s Party (PP) on Saturday took turns slamming the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led government for naming the state-of-the-art stadium currently under construction in Lilongwe as Bingu National Stadium.

According to Youth and Sports Minister Grace Chiumia, the decision to name the Chinese-funded 40 000-seater facility was arrived at a Cabinet meeting.

She said the name was given in honour of former president the late Bingu wa Mutharika who initiated the project.

But speaking in an exclusive interview with Nyasa Times, MCP Publicity Secretary Dr Jessie Kabwira accused DPP of naming the stadium without consulting Malawians.

“There was need for the government to consult widely than just imposing a name on Malawians,” Kabwira said.

She accused DPP of doing cheap politics with national facilities.

PP Publicity Secretary Ken Msonda argued that government would have established the committee which could have been consulting Malawians and give recommendations to the President to avoid renaming the national assets in future.

However, DPP spokesman Francis Kasaira trashed the accusations by the opposition MCP and the PP.

Kasaira said MCP and PP do not know what they are talking about.

“Does it make any sense that naming a national asset can mean campaigning? The reason why the cabinet made the decision to name the stadium after  Bingu wa Mutharika is that he  was the one who initiated this project and Cabinet felt it wise and proper to name it in his honour, “said Kasaira.

University of Malawi political science professor Blessings Chinsinga said there is no problem naming the national asset under a former president such as Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre, named after founding president, late Ngwazi Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda.

Another commentator from University of Malawi, Dr Mustafa Hussein said while there is nothing wrong on the matter, wider consultations should have been carried to allow Malawians to give their views on the issue.