MASERU — The Lesotho Football Association (Lefa) is planning to rent out some facilities at the Bambatha Tsita to generate income.
Lefa president Salemane Phafane told the association’s congress in June that there were plans to lease out the premises to hotels and hospitality organisations.
“Plans are afoot to build a new office block so that the current facility can be hired out to hotels and hospitality organisations,” Phafane said.
Bambatha Tsita, situated at Old Polo Ground, was financed by Goal, an aid organisation, and Fifa Financial Assistance Programme while the Lesotho government donated land.
Fifa president Sepp Blatter officially opened the arena in 2002. Since then it has served as Lefa’s headquarters.
The building comprises 11 offices, 35 rooms with showers, a kitchen, four conference rooms, a library and a play ground.
Phafane said they were going to lease out the association’s current headquarters soon after building new office blocks.
“As for Bambatha Tsita Sports Arena, as stipulated in the business plan, the association is to build an office block on the adjustment piece of land which has already been allocated to the association by (the) Land Survey and Physical Planning
(LSPP),” he said.
Phafane said it was time for the association to find innovative means of increasing its revenue.
For the past 11 years, Lefa has been receiving an annual M1 million subvention from the government, a situation that does not sit well with the Lefa boss.
“The association is receiving an annual subvention of M1 million. This has been the case for the past 11 years. The situation does not bode well for the running of football in this age,” Phafane said.
He challenged the government to “re-look into this annual subvention with a view to increase it because it is not enough to run the country’s football affairs.”
