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The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) is facing a legal battle with Royal Kents Engineering Limited, a construction firm contracted to renovate and upgrade Chipata DK Stadium.
Royal Kents had filed a lawsuit in the Lusaka High Court, alleging that FAZ owes them over US$161,000 in unpaid fees.
According to the lawsuit, Royal Kents claims that FAZ had not fulfilled its contractual obligations, leaving the company financially strained.
The construction firm is demanding US$135,105.12 to cover project cost escalations and an additional US$ 26,568.50 as a retention fee stipulated in the contract.
Furthermore, Royal Kents is seeking K27,000 in security charges incurred due to delays in the stadium’s commissioning.
As an alternative, the company is requesting fair compensation for the work completed, along with damages for the loss of use of funds.
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The statement of claim, filed in the Commercial Division of the Lusaka High Court, names FAZ General Secretary Reuben Kamanga and architect Mathias Phiri as key individuals involved in the contract.
Royal Kents alleged they were awarded contract no. 04/20/FAZ/DKS for the stadium’s renovation, with an agreed sum of $129,579.99.
The contract outlined that payments would be made in four installments tied to specific project milestones.
Royal Kents also stated that drawings and the Bill of Quantities were to be prepared under the direction of Phiri and Chibesa Mulenga of CZM Chartered Quantity Surveyors.
The construction site was handed over on January 24, 2022, with work commencing on February 14, 2022, and an initial completion date set for July 31, 2022.
However, Royal Kents argues that delays in milestone payments and changes to the scope of work caused significant project delays.
During a site meeting on January 16, 2024, it was discovered that the original designs did not meet FIFA standards, necessitating revisions to the Bill of Quantities.
Despite these challenges, Royal Kents said it continued the project, assuming the contract and Bill of Quantities would be updated to reflect the expanded scope of work.
It added that renovations were completed in March 2023, following instructions from Phiri. Royal Kents claimed that it notified FAZ on March 20, 2023, that the site would be ready for handover by March 31, 2023.
However, it said that FAZ did not take over the site until September 24, 2023, without providing any formal communication.
The delay in commissioning forced Royal Kents, as claimed, to provide security services for the site at an additional cost of K27,000 over six months.
The company also stated that changes to the project’s scope increased the value of the work from $129,579.99 to $265,685.10.
Royal Kents claims that despite multiple attempts to resolve the outstanding payments, FAZ has been unresponsive, prompting the current legal action.
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