Zodiak Online has established that the Public Procurement and Disposal of Asset Authority (PPDA) has reportedly rejected a proposed upward revision of the Thyolo Stadium budget from the initial K5 billion to K11 billion.

A few months ago, the Thyolo District Council wrote the Authority seeking a review of the contractor’s request, which sought to nearly double the cost, citing rising material prices and other project demands. However, a senior council official has confided that the Authority turned down the request.

“The contractor wanted the budget raised beyond our 15 percent mandate, so we referred the matter to the PPDA. But the Authority has rejected it,” said the official.

Efforts by Zodiak to get a comment from PPDA Executive Director, Eddington Chilapondwa, have not yielded results in the past two months, with him consistently asking for more time before responding.

Meanwhile, the Thyolo District Sports Committee has expressed frustration over the continued delays in completing the facility.

Committee chairperson Charles Mankhwala described the project as critical for both sporting development and business growth in the district.

“We are very disappointed with the delay. This stadium is not just about sports, it has the potential to boost business and youth development in Thyolo. Government must urgently resolve these issues,” said Mankhwala.

The stadium project, which started in 2019, has stalled as the contractor abandoned the site.