Eden University bids to lease Matero Stadium
MATERO’S Mwembeshi ward Councilor Kelvin Kaunda is through his Eden University looking to partner with Lusaka Tigers to develop the contentious Matero Stadium whose current lease agreement expires next year.
The Lease to the Stadium which has over the last few years been a bone of contention in Matero belongs to Lusaka Mayor Miles Sampa since 2011. Lusaka Tigers who have been tenants of the facility had recently indicated that they were looking to bid for lease of tenancy for the facility.
But in a twist of events Kaunda who on Sunday donated 20 balls worth K10,000, said he was looking to partner with Lusaka Tigers because of its status as a community team.
Kaunda used the occasion during the handover ceremony held at Matero stadium to disclose that his University had applied for lease of tenancy to develop the stadium and was looking to partner with Lusaka Tigers.
He said that once the bid was successful, he would refurbish the sports facility starting from the terraces to the pitch so that it could not only benefit Tigers but the community as a whole.
‘’I’m making this donation of these balls in my capacity as councilor for Mwembeshi ward here but once we come as Eden University we shall do big things at this Stadium, we shall refurbish and renovate these terraces that you are seeing . So I can disclose to you that yes we have also bid to lease the stadium after the City Council advertised and we want to partner with Tigers,’’ Kaunda said.
‘’This team (Tigers) is a community Club which must be supported by everyone and hence the responsibility of every one of us to support it. The failure of the team is the failure of everyone in the community,’’ he said.
Matero stadium has in recent months been under the spotlight with Lusaka mayor having warned that those wishing to get the lease away from him needed to refund him what he had spent on the facility. The Lusaka City Council last week advertised bids to lease out the stadium whose contract formally