THE Lesotho Football Association (LeFA) has allocated a sum of M4million for the refurbishment of its buildings at the Bambatha Tšita Sports Arena.
sports
April 30, 2021
TEBOHO JAFETA
3 min read
LeFA budgets M4 million to revamp offices
Artificial turf that has just been installed at the Bambatha Ts'ita Sports Arena
According to the President of LeFA, King’s Counsel Salemane Phafane, the football controlling body has already signed a contract with the contractor and construction work is expected to start soon.
“Now that the technical centre has been completed, I am proud to announce that we were given the keys to the new facility on Monday by the contractor. We are about to transfer our staff to the newly completed centre to allow the renovation of the Bambatha offices,” he also said.
For his part, LeFA Secretary General Mokhosi Mohapi showed that the refurbishment of LeFA headquarters will be conducted in two phases, with the first phase valued at M2.4 million, while the second phase is projected at M1.6million.
“This money is a separate budget from the one spent on the grounds and technical centre project. It is the one meant to renovate the football headquarters offices to give them a modern shape,” Mohapi said.
On another note, Phafane said the DIFA Berea has secured land for the sports ground and is waiting for a lease, adding that as soon as it has the lease in its possession, construction work can start.
“In addition, DIFA Thaba Tseka has already secured the land and a lease, their site is about to be fenced and we will take it from there.
“Furthermore, we are about to fence our site in Ha Mabote, although we have mixed feelings about that site. LeFA is still debating on whether to construct only grounds or build a commercial centre inclusive of the grounds,” Phafane also said.
He showed that they are trying to create a balance between building a commercial centre which will give them revenue and constructing grounds which will not create any revenue.
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“We are still consulting business experts on the matter. One day we need to sustain ourselves as LeFA, we should not always rely on the mother-body, the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) for funding.
“LeFA will never again develop a facility belonging to the government. We learned the hard way that we should never develop government’s facility. We burnt our fingers developing Setsoto Stadium through the installation of artificial turf,” he said.
Phafane further noted that as a rule, LeFA will develop grounds only if the districts in question have leases in the names of LeFA, adding that in future, they will no longer develop grounds that do not belong to LeFA.
“DIFA cannot own land but LeFA alone has the right to own land,” he said.
He also pointed out that LeFA spent a total of M23.3 million for the ongoing construction project which includes the spectators’ sitting area, the technical centre and the installation of artificial turf at both the Bambatha and the DIFA Mohale’s Hoek grounds.
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