By FELIX MALUNGA –
SPORTS Minister Chishimba Kambwili has said the Zambian sporting fraternity is probably the most hit following the death of President Michael Sata because of the unprecedented support he gave to sport.
Kambwili said during President Sata’s three-year reign, sport received overwhelming support as evidenced by the increase in budgetary allocation from K34 million to K140 million this year.
He said the late President had a soft spot for sport because he wanted the youth, who were the majority voters in 2011 for the Patriotic Front to form government, to be happy.
When he appeared on a special Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) programme, ‘Zambia Mourns’, yesterday, Kambwili described President Sata as a man who was passionate in developing sport in Zambia.
Kambwili said when he took over as Sports Minister, he approached the President and requested him to consider increasing the budget from K34 million as the figure was not enough for him to execute the assignments he was supposed to do.
Since President Sata wanted to see sportsmen and women motivated for them to deliver the desired results, Kambwili said, the budget was doubled, easing pressure on the ministry.
“I feel like the sporting fraternity has been hit the most. You see when I took over (as Sports Minister) the budget was K34 million. That amount also included the component for infrastructure development. In the second year, we had K76 million and this year we have K87 million but the total budget for the ministry is in excess of K140 million, reason being the infrastructure development component was taken to the Finance Ministry.
“But at the moment, the ministry (of Sports) boasts of over K140 million which includes an allocation for infrastructure development. So you can see how passionate the man was to developing sport in Zambia,” he said.
Kambwili said even when Zambia was accorded an opportunity to stage the 2013 COSAFA Senior Challenge Cup, President Sata easily gave a go-ahead, underscoring the importance his Government attached to sport.
Zambia also hosted the 2012 Supreme Council for Sport in Africa Zone Six Under-20 Games with Government financing the event.
The minister said when he took over office, President Sata also wanted the tiff that existed then between Government and the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) resolved.
Kambwili also said the late Head of State gave maximum support to the Chipolopolo to ensure Zambia won the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
Zambia Professional Boxing and Wrestling Board of Control chairperson, Nelson Sapi, FAZ vice-president Boniface Mwamelo and Zambia Amateur Athletics Association president Elias Mpondela also appeared on the ZNBC programme where they eulogised President Sata, who died in England on October 28.