State President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera will on Thursday, September 11, 2025, preside over the official opening of Zomba Stadium, formerly known as Zomba Community Ground, marking the end of a prolonged construction period that has spanned over eight years.
DEC Construction Limited began constructing the facility in 2017 with an initial capacity of 20,000 spectators. The stadium was designed to serve as home to TNM Super League outfit Red Lions and cater to Zomba’s football-loving community.
However, the project has faced numerous setbacks that significantly delayed its completion. The stadium was originally projected to be finished in October 2020, but multiple challenges forced repeated deadline extensions.
The delays have had serious consequences for local football, with Zomba-based fans starved of action as Red Lions were forced to relocate to Balaka Stadium, approximately 85 kilometers away. This move also cost Zomba City Council (ZCC) valuable gate revenue that would have been generated from hosting home matches.
In December 2020, President Chakwera urged ZCC and the Ministry of Local Government to expedite the construction and expansion of the facility. Despite this high-level intervention, progress remained slow due to funding constraints.
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Public pressure and financial challenges ultimately forced the contractor to significantly reduce the facility’s seating capacity from the originally planned 20,000 to 8,000 spectators.
In January 2023, DEC Construction Limited revealed they had been instructed by government to halt erection of stands on one side of the project, leading to the capacity reduction.
Contractor Explains Financial Constraints
DEC Construction Limited Managing Director Dan Chale clarified the controversy surrounding the project’s reduced capacity during a Sunday interview.
“The information coming out is like we are imposing the stadium’s capacity on our client from 20,000 to 8,000,” Chale explained. “But the issue is that the initial estimated cost of the project was K15 billion, but then our client said they were ready to allocate us only K4 billion. So, we have been working around that figure.”
The significant budget reduction – from K15 billion to K4 billion – forced the contractor to scale down the project to match available funding.
Last year, President Chakwera reaffirmed his commitment to completing the long-awaited Zomba Stadium project during a tour of the construction site. While he did not specify a completion timeline during that visit, he emphasized Zomba’s deserving status for sporting infrastructure.
“Despite moving the capital city to Lilongwe years back, Zomba deserves a stadium for sports, recreation and entertainment,” the President stated during his site visit.
According to Zomba City Council Spokesperson Aubrey Moses, the stadium’s opening is expected to bring multiple benefits to the district.
The facility is projected to promote tourism and improve the council’s revenue collections, which currently stand at less than K300 million annually. The stadium is expected to serve as a catalyst for increased economic activity in the area.
Moses expressed particular optimism about the stadium’s role in youth development. “The stadium will also help to nurture grassroots talent as the youths will be exposed to elite talent, thereby helping them to learn and develop their games,” he said.
After years of delays and setbacks, Zomba District Council has confirmed that all preparations are complete for the official opening ceremony on September 11, 2025.
The inauguration represents not just the completion of a construction project, but the restoration of Zomba’s sporting heritage and the beginning of a new chapter for football in the former capital city.
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