Ministry of Youth and Sports has played down a strike by subcontractors who are renovating Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe ahead of the African Union Sports Council (Ausc) Region 5 Youth Games.

The subcontractors downed their tools on Monday this week due to delayed payments.

Bingu Stadium will host some of the Region 5 Games

As of Monday, local firms, subcontracted by China Railway 20 to renovate the stadium which will host athletics and football during the youth games, had withdrawn their workforce in an effort to force the ministry to pay them.

The sit-in comes just less than 40 days before the Games, raising concerns on whether the facility will be ready by the 30-day deadline.

But in an interview, Ministry of Youth and Sports spokesperson Andrew Nyondo played down the sit-in.

He said: “It’s just a minor issue. As a ministry, we are trying hard to ensure all facilities are renovated and ready to host the games.

“The ministry can assure you that this is being sorted out. The payment is being processed.

“Government is doing everything possible to ensure all the infrastructure will be ready for the Games.”

“Just last week the Minister of Youth and Sports toured all the infrastructures to appreciate the work being done.”

Ausc Region 5 chairperson Dennis Mombera also said the sit-in would not affect the local organising committee’s deadline to have all facilities ready by the end of the month.

He said: “I am sure this has been resolved and the payments are being processed because the Region 5 projects are well funded.

“It could be an issue of paperwork. But everything is going on as planned. If there have been delays, they are not that serious.”

“Actually, we have the Africa School Championship which will be held later this month to test the facilities’ readiness for the Region 5 Games.”

Ausc Region 5 inspection team recommended the renovations of the stadium to construct two more dressing rooms so that there are four in total; replacing damaged seats and grand stands’ damaged roofs.

The stadium also needs a backup generator to support flood lights, internal lighting, electrical plugs, public address system and electronic screen before it can host the games.

China Railway 20 spokesperson Jason Deng Jing was not available for comment.

However, one of the subcontractors who opted for anonymity said they have been trying to push for the payments for some time.

Apart from BNS, Ministry of Youth and Sports is also constructing the Griffin Saenda Indoor Sports Complex and Kamuzu Institute for Sports Aquatic Complex for the Games.

The Bingu International Convention Centre will host gymnastics, boxing and taekwondo.

The African Bible College will host basketball while Civo and Silver stadiums, which are also undergoing renovations, have been earmarked for the Under-17 girls’ and boys’ football tournaments.

Government allocated K13 billion towards hosting of the Games, according to Minister of Youth and Sports Richard Chimwendo Banda.

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