TASILA LUNGU DEVASTATED AS KUKU GROUND VANDALIZED BY UNKNOWN THUGS, APPEALS FOR HELP.
She wrote;
SAD DEVELOPMENT: VANDALISM AT KUKU GROUND SPORTS COMPLEX IN CHAWAMA
Today we conducted the inspection of our community ground, Kuku Ground Sports Complex.
The ground was initially upgraded from a bare land dirt football pitch to a sports complex with artificial running track, artificial football pitch, basketball and netball courts, seating places, a police post to provide security, lighting and a wall and grill fence, borehole and water tank, parking spaces, toilet and changing room facilities.
The project was first conceived when I was starting out my work as Councillor in Chawama. The community was concerned that due to the fact that we have very few recreational sites in Chawama for our youth, we should protect the site from any developers. In addition, we decided that to reduce injuries for the young who played football on the dirt pitch, which often flooded during the rains and other games there, we would redevelop the ground into something modern and suitable.
We worked with a wide team of community supporters and well wishers, including Lusaka City Council – who own the site to develop a master plan to create, execute and handover to the community a fully completed sports complex, including ensuring a 24 hour police presence by constructing a modern police post within the Ground that is also accessible to the general public from a front entrance separate from the Ground main entrance.
Unfortunately, in the last few months the site has began to be vandalized and left unattended and unprotected.
We are looking into new plans with the community, stakeholders and well-wishers as to how best we can continue to provide security, maintain the facility and ensure it continues to serve the community. It would be a great loss to our community and our young if we cannot come up with sustainable, workable solutions.
Thank you to everyone who worked to deliver the completed facility to the community.
Tasila Lungu Mwansa
