Vice-President Michael Usi has been in the limelight touring various places to appreciate services and on Tuesday, he stormed a familiar arena that shaped his artistic career, visiting the once mighty entertainment mecca – Blantyre Cultural Centre (BCC), formerly French Cultural Centre (FCC), which is still in a pathetic state.
His visit to BCC, where restoration works have moved at a snail’s pace since it was bought by the government from the French Government in 2011 before being ransacked by thieves, comes barely two weeks after he engaged creatives.
Usi expressed disappointment with the delays in rehabilitating the venue, which has in the past years hosted several artists, both local and international, including Mali’s Salif Keita and Jamaica’s Mutabaruka.
He called on relevant authorities to get their act together and complete renovations soonest, with Director of Buildings Sam Ngoma assuring him that the works will be finalised by October.
“So, this means it will be ready by October 2024? Please sign here,” Usi told Ngoma.
Ngoma said later in an interview that construction is a process and that with a healthy cash flow, the works would be completed as indicated.
“The delays are happening in all construction projects, so it is not easy. But all things being equal with funds and processes being smooth, it will work by October,” he said.
Last year, Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture Richard Chimwendo Banda also visited BCC, where he ordered the contractor, Opco Limited, to finish off the works.
But a year down the line, the situation remains unchanged, with the creative sector eagerly anticipating BCC’s reopening.
On Tuesday, some artists, while welcoming the vice president’s visit to the centre, felt it would yield nothing new, considering the history of promises.
“Several visits have been made to the centre with orders and ultimatums, but nothing has been implemented.
“As a country, we need to change this narrative of just talking; what we want as artists now is for the centre to open,” an artist, who did not want to be named, said.
Director of Arts in the Ministry of Local Government, Unity and Culture, Humphrey Mpondaminga, said delays have arisen due to changes that have emerged, including the need to revisit the design for the Amphitheatre.
“We are equally concerned as a department that the rehabilitation is taking a long time. We have been pushing for documents, but procedures have to be followed, and we cannot bypass the process,” Mpondaminga said.
He explained that there were instructions to revisit the design of the amphitheatre to enhance its capacity, aiming for an elegant structure that meets international standards.
Opco Limited also confirmed that they were ready to resume work once everything was confirmed in writing, having adjusted their budget due to cost implications.
