GOVERNMENT in the North-Western Province has ordered all construction projects in Solwezi to stop until a new consolidated map of the municipality has been approved and implemented.
“Cease to develop property until the map is consolidated and approved because any land developed now may be demolished by the Survey Department,” North-Western Province permanent secretary Eustern Mambwe has warned.
He said those who will not heed the warning risk having their infrastructure destroyed, especially buildings on Independence Avenue where a dual carriageway is planned.
Dr Mambwe, who was addressing the first business stakeholders meeting in Solwezi on Friday, said the town is being re-planned.
He also said the planning of Lumwana town has also been completed.
Dr Mambwe said the town has more than 10 maps.
He said the mushrooming of buildings without proper planning must stop and described the current planning of Solwezi as being in a shambles.
“Solwezi is not a town. It is a shanty compound,” he said, adding that he was dismayed with the way houses were being built.
Dr Mambwe said many people are not heeding professional advice when building structures.
He said if the situation continues it will be too late to reverse.
He said shifting the town to another location will not serve any purpose.
“We must create a town which we are going to be proud of because North-Western Province is the future of Zambia,” he said.
He said Zambia is heavily dependent on Lumwana and Kansanshi mines.
Dr Mambwe said that 48 per cent of all mineral deposits in southern Africa are found in the North-Western Province.
Dr Mambwe said Solwezi is a very dirty town and appealed to the business community to help clean it up.
He said business houses could help to light up the main street to reduce accidents that mostly happen at night.
“The business community must play a part to assist Government because resources are limited,” he said.
Dr Mambwe also appealed to the business community to help build a police station.
He said that a modern shopping mall will be built in Solwezi soon at the current show grounds.
The council has allocated alternative land for the new show ground and construction will begin next month.
Dr Mambwe said that those occupying stands in the show grounds will be compensated or given new stands in the mall.
He urged the council to give land to serious developers and warned that any council workers and councillors who own more than one plot will be punished.[quote]
Meanwhile, various businesses pledged financial help towards the construction of a stadium and a police post, while others pledged services.
Jaid Limited, a leading hardware shopping outlet, pledged K10 million for the stadium while Amin Motors pledged K1.5 million.
Kamukate Enterprises pledged K500,000 for the construction of a police station while Legacy Wide Trade donated K1million for street lighting.
Enny’s Cleaning and Fumigation World offered free services to clean council toilets at the main bus station and the market.
Yes the new mining investment should learn from how Welensky’s government set up copperbelt towns. They were all neatly planned with proper roads and drainages and street lights even mu makomboni.
Can K500,000 construct a police post? something must be wrong in the reporting
As usual, they are now intervening when the damage has already been done. Where were they all this time building permits were being issued?
Prevention is better than cure.
Embarsing. Thats why proper development will remain but a fleeting illussion, to be chased but never attained. Sack the head of planning in solwezi. He is busy issuing land to relatives while his department is a shambels. We face a problem of unaccoutability. Heads of ministries and GRZ departments are not to blame when things they are incharge of fail. Instead they even get pay rises.
This is a good move. We must plan Solwezi well as it is a future business booming metropolis which is going to out-do Lusaka in terms of business activity.
We must therefore ensure that proper property rights records, mapping, recording and protection is used to prudently bring about Solwezi’s potential.
I am also planning to have some businesses in Solwezi in the near future as this hub of economic potential will surely bring about high returns. Please ensure that the adequate infrastructure and city beautification is adhered to.
We don’t want a situation in Solwezi like we do in Lusaka where illegal structures make the most part of the city.
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Former Free-Market-Economist, Free-Market-Capitalist, Crazy_Zambian
So they can secure more land for foreign leaders.
Sense Dr Mambwe though i hope its not too late
Did you plan MISISI?
There will be lighting between Tetamashimba and Mambwe. That is Teta’s constituency, and he used that land for those people Mambwe is calling Slamdogs, to vote for him for 2 long terms.
RB has really run out ideals and he has no plans for take our country to high levels how can he say that king muasti has conection to help if it was other big kingdoms which has big muscle in all kind of sectors in education in economic in health and other development not a poor king wat conection can he brings wen his his kingdom HIV,AIDS is high poverty is on high level education is below the line ,health care is just same as zed ,his mad teta, and his group are useless
rb has run out plans to lead the zed pipo how can he say that king muswat has got conections to help us ,if he wants conection he should be thinking of big kingdoms in the western countries
with big muscle in all kind of manpower that the country needs good health care ,good educations, with sound plans of our economy than plans to turn zed into a kingdom not a poor king whos his kingdom is high level of poverty high level of hiv,aids his life is also hand to mouth ,so rb and tete and his group of mad mmd must out be out ideals of how to lead the zed pipo
CHIMBWI NO PLAN!!!! He has the cart in front of the horse once again. In lusaka how many streets have never been named eg in Woodlands extension (chalala).These planers lack the vocabulary to come up with new names every “new” area is an EXTENTION WORK UP YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING CIVIL SERVANTS AND CIVIC LEADERS.
I think the PS talks sense it will be costly to shift the town the best as he has said is to replan the town ,put a due carrige way on indpendence avenue as the number of v/cles has increased in solwezi also cobnsider a roundabout at mitec/hospital turnoff as this place becomes verybad during rain season as for the shopping mall at showgrounds it is a veryggod idea.let us just hop that all that was side will be done toher wise as it stands oue touen is indeed a shnty compund with no recrational,staduim/proper showgraound and no police station.lets do somthing bwana PS we shall support you.Business houses surely donate huge sums you have the money to change things.
Good thought. You need political support though. Hope you get the backing of RB. Otherwise, with 2011 elections round the corner, politicians may not want to rock the boat.
Goo work and initiative PS. Keep it up. Such suggestions must be encourage by all well meaning Zambians
The council is to blame somehow because even when we pay service charges for roads, we the owners of plots are made to find own means to put up road networks. We build with appoved palns and making us stop construction when the paper work has been approved will not be possible. Just allow your officers go round than just talking in your offices. STOP me but i need to finish my structure for cost of houses in this town are just too expensive to meet. Let the mines take the lead in developing the roads. I wonder what the BIG Mouth ‘TETA’ is doing for his area.