A LOCAL company has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract to develop a business park on part of the 135 hectares University of Zambia (UNZA) land.
UNZA, through a private public partnership, wants to develop a six storey three star hotel, a stadium with gymnasium, shopping complex and hostels in Lusaka.
The project is expected to be done in three phases with thwe first phase involving the erection of a business park, student hostels, hotel, sports complex and staff houses.
UNZA vice chancellor, Professor, Stephen Simukanga, however, could not name the selected company until negotiations are finalised by the end of this year.
Prof. Simukanga said in an interview in Lusaka that negotiations have reached an advanced stage with the preferred bidder.
He said the project is expected to start within six months after signing the agreement.
“We have identified a local firm but if it wants, it can become a consortium and invite other firms to assist in financing the project, the project requires billions of money,” he said.
Prof. Simukanga said the university will soon advertise for the second phase of the project which involves expression of interest from both local and foreign firms.
The project also involves construction of a large auditorium with a 2,000-sitting-capacity catering for various events.
He also said a school to be situated near Kalingalinga Township and a shopping mall will built during the second phase of the project under the Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) arrangement.
Prof. Simukanga said the BOT arrangement will entail that the selected firm developing infrastructure at a profit for a 20-year-period, after which the properties will belong to the university.
The bidder is also expected to give a certain percentage of profits to UNZA.
In April 2007, three foreign and two local firms expressed interest in developing the UNZA land.
The companies which submitted bids were Libya African Investments, Inter-market Group and GC Holding which is a consortium of local and foreign companies.
The local firms were Zambezi Consortium and UNZA Hotel and Shopping Mall Consortium.
UNZA submitted an evaluation report to the then, Zambia National Tender Board (now Zambia Public Procurement Authority) on the selection of the final bidder to develop infrastructure situated on the area adjacent to Arcades shopping mall.
If that comes to be its a good development.
Why not use the money to fix and upgrade the dilapidated structures at unza
The project sounds good but the investor must be aware that Unza is very unstable and in case of riot students and the cops will ot end up rooting the goods and damaging the infrastructure. To Prof. Simukanga our memory is still fresh and the benefits from the investor will not end up being pocketed like Zamnet.
Joe Boy#2 The Money belongs to a private company and not UNZA. The company will build and run the infrastructure and surrender it to UNZA after 20 years. The best UNZA can do is to plough the percentage profit they will be getting to rehabilitate the campus. UNZA is a sorry sight. O shed tears last time I visited the campus. Certainly all is not well.
This has been long overdue, 2 years ago it was the same story.
This is a very welcome idea. Pa Zed we lack business and office space which is one of the basic spring boards and pillars for economic expansion. Entrepreneurs need decent offices not the some of the eyesores i have seen masquerading as office parks. And hey can somebody tell me what is happening to the Chelstone shopping centre? It is in such a state of dilapidation and abandonment? Kind-of one step forward and two steps backwards for the nation. Don’t you think?
This is what we expected from UNZA – creating money not asking for money to an extent of going on strikes. The next thing is for the schools of agriculture and vet to team up and run the UNZA farms. The department of food and nutrition should also wake up because there so much they can do in terms of value addition to agriculture products some which include sweet potatoes which one un-informed MP was saying government should find a market for.
I don’t see any news in this story. We’re still at the same phase we were a couple of years back. I want to hear them say; the works have started.
when is unza going to be privatized? the circus going on there is no longer funny.
sell zambia (and unza) to taiwan!
# 6 Ba Emma, please explain to me how “business and office space are one of the basic springboards, and pillars for economic expansion” ? Maybe i am missing something here?
There is so much that UNZA could do to generate extra revenue if the administration started thinking laterally. A consultancy could be set up offering varied expertise, which we know is available at UNZA. Other commercial ventures such as, at the time, York farm and Zamnet, could be run autonomously (seriously) and run on profitable terms. These ventures should be run by business professionals and not academics!
is it part of the UNZA plan or someone has been oiled in his hands. the UNZA authority should obtain the plan before doing any thing. UNZA need more hostels, staff houses and Educational infrastractures, so let us not waste land on irrelevants issue
Rennovate and upgrade the current infastructure so that the would be developer for the new project does not copy the existing substandard works! Anyway – good move professor!
I hope Unza has a long term plan for their land. Please be very careful, avoid short termism and corruption. If things go wrong, Unza may foot much money in legal fees.
Good thinking from my Former lecturer Proff Stephen Mbala Mafia Simukanga
pay workers their benefits!