By Tovin Ngombe:-
The Zambia National Tender Board (ZNTB) has advertised for construction of the controversial bottomed road from Sinazongwe to Gwembe district.
Sinazongwe district Council Secretary Oliver Muuka disclosed at the full council meeting that the bottom road which stretches from Sinazeze to Chaboboma in Gwembe has been earmarked for construction.
Chief Sinazongwe representative Louis Maanje said ZNTB should choose a proper contractor to avoid a repeat of Zambia National Service (ZNS) that did a shoddy job on the same road.
Asked on how much money would be spent on the rehabilitation of the road, Mr Muuka said the tender did not give the exact funds to be spent on the road construction.
Nkanddabwe ward Councilor Partson Mangunje said the two contractors China Geo-Engineering Cooperation and Road Contractors Company Zambia Limited has already conducted a spot check on the road for them to prepare their bids.
However, Sinazongwe district council has disclosed that they were not briefed on the current repair works being done along the damaged Sinazeze-Chiyabi road.
The council Secretary told the meeting that as a local authority they were agents of the Road Development Agency (RDA) though at times the agency could decide not to involve them.
He said council was not aware of the specific jobs that the two contractors that include JIMAZI contractor and GM Industrial Suppliers were supposed to do.
Muuka said it was also difficult for the council to supervise their work because they do not know the contract specifications.
“The Southern Province provincial office opted to choose a contractors themselves and to supervise them, we can not force them to include us because they know we are stakeholders and the work was being done in our district,†the Muuka said.
Maanje said that it was unfair for RDA and the Livingstone provincial office to decide to leave out the council in the rehabilitation of the damaged road.
“We can not be sidelined, it is unfair that they have failed to involve us and we have a stake in it but something could be brewing why they avoided the council,†Mr Maanje said.
The two contractors along Sinzaze chiyabi road were only repairing the two bridges out of the 10 that were washed away at the cost of K163 million.
The bottom road has been a controversial issue and according to senior chief Mweemba and Chief Sinazongwe the failure to construct the bottom road means government was not working despite any developmental act cities it could bring.
It was one of the promises that government committed itself to construct when the Tonga people were displaced from the Lake Kariba but up to now the road was still in a deplorable condition.
Why are you constructing more roads when you are failing to maintain old ones. The money that you want to use for this road can be used to rehabilitate the road from Maamba via Siansowa to Kafwambila, where despite there being clinics and schools the road is impassable that the Sinazongwe district health and education officials dont even go there.
The other road that should have recieved attention in Gwembe is Munyumbwe to Luumbo and Chipepo. We need to be serious in the country. We are throwing money around instead of doing better things. What economic benefits will the proposed road bring ?