Blantyre Cultural Centre (BCC) rehabilitation works which stalled due to other challenges have resumed.
Director of Arts in the Department of Arts in the Ministry of Local Government, Unity and Culture, Humphrey Mpondaminga confirmed yesterday that the contractor resumed works two weeks ago.
“The works have started after getting clearances on the new contract terms as submitted,” Mpondaminga said.
On when the works will finish, Mpondaminga said as discussed with the contractor, the works are expected to take close to 16 weeks.
“This is the rehabilitation of the open theatre. The extension for the theatre and other remaining works are being handled separately,” he said.
Opco Limited, the contractor doing the renovations at the once mighty entertainment mecca, confirmed it had resumed the works but could not be drawn to say when they will finish the project.
In July this year, Vice President Michael Usi visited BCC where he expressed disappointment with the delays in rehabilitating the venue that has in the past years hosted several artists both local and international including Mali’s Salif Keita and Jamaica’s Mutabaruka.
He then called on relevant authorities to get their act together and complete renovations soonest with Director of Buildings Sam Ngoma assuring Usi that by October, the works would be finalised.
However, the works would not be finalised this month as the rehabilitation just started recently.
BCC restoration works have dragged and moved at a snail’s pace since it was bought by the government from the French government in 2011 before it was later ransacked by thieves.
Creatives have come out to lobby the government to rehabilitate the venue and reopen it soonest.
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