SOMHLOLO WAS TO BE 18 000 SEATER – MINISTER ‘CRUISER’

MBABANE – “If people had not rebelled against the decision to close the stadium last year, we would not be talking about this.”

These were the words of outgoing Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Minister David ‘Cruiser’ Ngcamphalala when responding to a question about the CAF report that declared a health hazard, forcing Mbabane Swallows out to Mavuso Sports Centre for their Total CAF Champions League group stage home games starting with Angola’s Club Desportivo on Tuesday.

“Government had already approved a sum of E450 million for the refurbishment of the stadium which would also see it have an increased capacity of 18 000 seated fans and 250 VIP section seats among other things,” he said while explaining that it was football authorities and the media that nearly tore him apart when he announced the stadium closure last year.

CAF is an acronym for Confederation of African Football. Swallows had hoped to host at the country’s soccer Mecca the rest of its group games but the first home game at Mavuso. However, sources confided that Ngcamphalala’s Ministry decided to shut down the stadium until it was fixed to match international standards.

The National Football Association of Swaziland (NFAS) received correspondence this week following a meeting between the ministry and football stakeholders to map a way forward following the CAF declaration this past Monday. The correspondence, already copied to the PLS by the local football mother body closes ‘stadium until further notice’ as of Monday.

It also explains that in the wake of the damning CAF report, the closure was to address the dressing rooms found to be unhealthy and a danger to its occupants, the floodlights, electrical work and also the plumbing around the ablution facilities which has always been a cause for concern as the toilets there are swamped in water all over the floor due to leakages.

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