EMASWATI DESERVE E2.5BN NEW STADIUM

Leaders, autocrats and powerful people have often used sports to assert their political dominance.

Acclaimed writers say politics and sports or sports diplomacy describes the use of sport as a means to influence diplomatic, social and political relations. I agree with them that sports diplomacy may transcend cultural differences and bring people together. Of course, the use of sports and politics has had positive implications over history. What have we chosen in Eswatini to bring people of diverse political or social backgrounds together? That’s not the subject for today’s discussion, thank you very much.

Sports are not merely meant for whirling time or to keep people busy for nothing. They create a nation with a refreshed mindset. Treat sports as a waste-of-time event at your own peril. That is what the Tinkhundla System of Government has failed to achieve – sports excellence. Companies linked to government such as Tibiyo Taka Ngwane have also failed to recognise and appreciate sports diplomacy. The Zambian National Team, now called Chipolopolo, was known as KK11 in the 1980s. It was named after founding President Dr Kenneth Kaunda, who ruled Zambia from 1964 to 1991.  Sports, in particular soccer, contributed to Kaunda’s fame. South Africa was a happy and united nation after winning the bid to host the 2010 World Cup.

The South African Government invested appropriately E37 billion at current foreign exchange rate into the development of new stadiums and upgrades to existing stadiums, respectively. The biggest stadium in the world is not in the democratic countries but in North Korea, the country with one of the worst human rights records. The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, also known as the Rungrado May Day Stadium is the largest stadium in the world. It can officially accommodate 150 000 spectators.

North Korea has a population of 26 million people. I won’t be surprised that 95 per cent of the North Koreans cannot even kick the ball. Rwanda takes sports seriously. It even sponsors Arsenal. The north London club has had a partnership with the African country’s tourism Board since 2018. The Gunners and Rwanda signed a £10 million-per-year sleeve sponsorship contract lasting four years. This is the equivalent of E220 million per year.
Rwanda also has a bumper deal with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) as well. In 2020, Rwanda generated about E3.8 billion (US$212 million) in the tourism sector alone. I am just highlighting the benefits other countries derive from sports. Ours is simple, let’s just start with the stadium construction. Fifty-five years after gaining independence, Eswatini still does not have a proper stadium. What a disgrace!

In a country with a budget of E24 billion, the technocrats cannot set aside E2 billion to construct a multipurpose stadium that can host games of World Cup and Olympic standards or CAF (Confederation of African Football). If a nation can’t host a CAF accredited game, it must count itself among the dead. This country has prime ministers who follow sports, chiefly football, the beautiful game which attracts billions of our people across the globe. Unfortunately, they did nothing to improve sports by building a stadium that will put the country on the world map. All of them liked soccer but did nothing.

The national team host its games on foreign soil. Are we happy? Who’s happy here? I am aware that the late Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini, the longest serving prime minister, liked soccer. What did he do then to show that he liked soccer? I remember the day we talked on the phone about ‘that crucially deciding game between Bad Boys FC and Mbabane Highlanders.’ ‘Injani Bad Boys Nkambule,’ that’s when he said when I answered his call, obviously teasing me about the negative result.

Absalom Themba Dlamini, who succeeded Barnabas in 2003 has a soft spot for Mbabane Swallows. In fact, he played soccer. He is still an influential figure in the echelons of power in the country by virtue of his position as the chief executive officer of Tibiyo Taka Ngwane. I thought Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini who had a long standing relationship with the Premier League of Eswatini would in his first year as the premier, influence the budget or rather initiate a budget for the construction of a new stadium. After all, he chaired Cabinet meetings and reported directly to His Majesty the King.

Of all the former prime ministers, the current premier, Cleopas Sipho Dlamini, is the one who is so close to soccer. In his private capacity, I am aware of what he has done for soccer. Under his administration, I haven’t yet seen the designs for the new stadium. We need a beautiful, classy and well-funded stadium that can accommodate 60 000 or 100 000 people. The population is growing. As a result, this should be seen as an investment into peace and social cohesion. EmaSwati don’t deserve a makeshift like the Somhlolo National Stadium. I don’t want to waste time talking about KaLanga Technical Centre, where there are no grandstands. Instead, fans are made to watch soccer from a hill.

This is embarrassing when we consider the fact that the Eswatini Football Association spent E30 million on the construction of the centre.
Don’t tell me the stadium was not initially designed for premier league games. We are talking about E30 million here. Now, since government has 20 ministries, the Ministry of Finance can afford to cut each ministry’s budget by E20 million or more to raise money for the new stadium. Don’t say I am crazy; this is a once-off budget decrease. The balance can then be raised from bonds, treasury bills and loans from foreign financial institutions. Some African countries are already building new stadiums.

In January 2023, the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation aired an interview clip of Minister of Youth, Sport and Art Elvis Nkandu, informing the nation that plans were underway to construct a stadium in Livingstone to promote sports tourism in the country. Look at that, they are constructing a stadium to promote sports tourism in Zambia. Underline ‘sports tourism.’ The problem with us as emaSwati is that we don’t underline important facts. I am pretty sure that Taiwan can offer a loan to the country to build the sports facility. The European Union (EU), UK and USA can also give us a piece of advice. In July 2010, China Eximbank and the Government of Zambia signed a concessional loan agreement for two loans worth a total of US$94 million for two projects.

The project involved the construction of the National Heroes Stadium and the reconstruction of the old Independence Stadium in Lusaka. National Heroes Stadium is a multi-purpose facility that can accommodate more than 50 000 spectators. It has a football pitch, a running track, two gymnasiums, four dressing rooms, four VIP lounges, shops, booths, car parks, media rooms, conference rooms, meeting rooms, a police station, a medical room, an anti doping centre, massage rooms, and offices. At the current foreign exchange rate, US$94 million is the equivalent of E1.6 billion. That’s serious money for a serious project.

In 2021, the Harare City Council announced plans to build a 45 000 capacity seater High Glen Stadium. City councils all over the world are building stadiums. It’s unfortunate that we have city councils that always think about shopping malls. Anyway, I am asking too much from them? They can’t even patch a pothole. Last month, the Times of Eswatini reported that the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs revealed ambitions to build a stadium at an estimated cost of E2.5 billion.

The Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs is Harries ‘Madze’ Bulunga, a soccer legend and former national team coach. In his responses to Parliament, he said: “The ministry continues to engage government through the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development on the possibility to construct a new stadium which has an estimated cost of over E2.5 billion. Efforts were also made by government to scout possible funding for a new stadium, but were not successful.”

Projects

Why funding is then possible or flowing when the country undertakes other capital projects?  Eswatini needs to have a fully-fledged Ministry of Sports and Recreation. We need a minister with undivided attention to address sports issues. The Ministry of Home Affairs is responsible for culture. The country has a sports council as well.     The ministry also assured Parliament that it would continue with the rehabilitation of Somhlolo National Stadium in the hope that it would eventually meet the required standard set by FIFA or CAF. That’s a far-fetched dream as Somhlolo is far from meeting FIFA standards.

Government can’t even build grandstands on the open space facing Mdzimba Mountain. I suggest the new stadium should be away from Lobamba, where ancestors interfere with beauty and modernity. I know that certain traditionalists have prevented government from setting up permanent grandstands on the open space called no-man’s land.  I am surprised that temporary grandstands are made available during national functions. The temporary grandstands are an indication that there is absolutely nothing that can harm us if we put up permanent grandstands there.
I am looking forward to the construction of a sports facility as beautiful as Moses Mabhida Stadium.

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