Friday, March 29, 2024

Plans to expand Lusaka underway

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A comprehensive study to expand the city of Lusaka is underway.

The Zambian government is currently working with cooperating partners to find best ways of implementing the project

The study is dubbed ‘Urban Development Master Plan for Lusaka’.

Government with the support from cooperating partners is currently getting views from the public on how to formulate the plan.

The plan also seeks to improve water supply and urban transportation among other things.

On Monday the Ministry of Local Government, Lusaka City Council and Japan International Cooperation Agency-JICA opened an exhibition at Nakatindi Hall to get opinions from the general public.

A check by ZNBC News in Lusaka found placards of several alternative plans for the expansion of the city outlined at various points.

According to statistics conducted in 2005, the population of Lusaka was estimated at 1 point 8 million.

The study which started in 2007 is expected to be completed in March next year.

[ZNBC]

90 COMMENTS

  1. Plans to expand lusaka underway….too bad how do we expand if basic necessities for less than 3M pipo are a dream and we have more cars than pipo…think twice dont just impress us with vague statements.

  2. Let us hop the plan will helo dicongest the city so that people will have alternative routes not every time you have to pass through town.

  3. #3 to #5

    you seem to be too negative, have you lost hope? i hope you have only lost hope for Zambia and not for yourselves in diaspora.

  4. Hello….. its interesting how you like to use words like ‘expand’ and not ‘maintainance’. Expand to where????? upwards maybe, but certainly not across anything. Mulefwaya muletubepa?

  5. To me that is a VERY STUPIP PLAN. Think of improving on the already existing dilapidated infrastructure instead of bringing more problems.

  6. Gentlemen, lusaka province includes chongwe, lufunsa, luangwa, chilanga, kafue and lusaka west. The city can expand there is plenty of land. Infact the ring road will be from chongwe to leapards hill then to kafue road and will finally close the ring on Kabwe road. dont just talk from without see the survey diagrams.you are in Zambia but you can make an effort to look at the city survey maps yet you want to comment, what kind of citizens

  7. How will they deal with already existing compounds like Msisi, Kanyama and the like. There is great need for scrutiny before we get exicited.

  8. I agree #11 it’s just the beginning of a plan, they are asking for opinions from the general public, some people just don’t read the article

  9. Great idea we have alot of land and space in lusaka for expansion,i think most of you dont live in lusaka that how seem to have no idea of how much land is there,you only pass through when going to airport,we need infrastractual development in zed .

  10. be like the chinese and remove all those in misisi, kanyama, kaunda square, madevu and kalingalinga etc tell them that you want to build twin cities in these places. those who are willing to buy or rent the newly built houses are welcome to return. those who don’t want can be resettled somewhere. everyone should be compensated for being removed. that is the only way lusaka can expand.

  11. #11 maybe you are willing to live in Lufunsa and yet you work within town, if we have plenty of you then Lufunsa, chongwe and them all are a great idea otherwise its not supposed to be called expansion but maintainance as intelligently outlined by #8 Ba Moze

  12. i hope the plans of expanding lusaka will be current with world trends. the sewer lines, drainage, water lines all have to be worked on before kaponya contractors move on site

  13. If government can pay MNB lawyers K18 billion for services rendered for period of January this year and around about June the same year ( which i might add is more than most ministries’ budget allocation for this year)then it means the government has money all they need is will power to demolish the eyesore structures and allow for real development to take place.
    We have country and town planners who have gone out of the country for studies so they not only know planning from an acedemic point of view but also from seeing how other cities have been planned.

  14. # 16 gentelman
    Dont be mislead by #8 below is an engineering definition of maintenance
    According to DIN 31051, maintenance is the collection of measures that are taken to uphold the design functionality of an asset and to determine the actual condition of the components of a technical system. These measures include:Servicing,Inspection and testing,
    Corrective action/repair.from this definition an asset must first exist before maintainance can take place, are you saying infrastructure already exist in LSK. Check the drawings most of the infrastructure will be new on virgin land thats why we are sayng expansion and development.As 4 working i have always worked in the remote areas.

  15. #19 you who always work in the remote areas would greatly benefit from this illusion. the said expansion is not possible period not in a million years. mark my words. Did you know that JICA has been surveying Lsk urban for almost 8 years now for the purpose of expanding? Now they want your opinion and suggestion, isnt it fishy? Over this period who do you think has been paid consultancy fees? Have you seen there proposals or maybe you are speaking from without so i stop wasting my time?

  16. #15
    Are you zambian and have the heart for the people of Zambia? where are they going to take the people Of the compounds? Zambia is our Land regardless of social status.We don,t need another Mazyopa Issue I think the only think Government can do is to start legalizing these compounds by setting rules which have to be followed by the people. for example coming up with good housing structures which every resident of these compounds should follow with good roads networks of course & other structures needed dont sent people away please!!!! we are all Zambians don’t hurt innocent souls its not every compound dweller who is a thief,unemployed,uneducated,prostitutes.this is not china

  17. The move is welcome, Lusaka is Zambia so it has to improve. Can the consider mordenising our International airport to international standard.

    Residential areas have to be upgraded, electricity we need to enjoy the benefits of our rivers.

  18. No 23 Gentleman, the Japanese project has done a lot than most politicians in Zambia, If you recall starting with Lumumba, Cairo, Freedom way, all roads leading to shanty compounds Kanyama, Chawama, Mandevu, ect were done by JICA, not forgetting the new Great East road. Learn to appreciate other people’s tax.

  19. #23 gentleman

    we are not sayng the plan has already been implemented, all we are saying is its feasible. the govnt is asking for your imput into the project so that it can work. whether it will work or not depends on us Zambians, by Zambians i mean those in diaspora, those at the council, the people who will award contracts at the ministry and those of you who will suport the project in one way or the other. If you get negative from the start you will never achieve a single project not even a personal one.

  20. Bravo #19! we need more progressive thinkers on this blog. Some are so hell bent on critisicsm without offering any alternative ideas. Lusaka has enough room for expansion provided its done properly. Anything is possible, a while back people would have laughed at having a female boxer doing zed proud..look at Esther. More ideas ladies and genlemen not this trash of number 1.

  21. Lusaka actually has a lot of land, if only people can stop thinking in a backward way only of places like, Chilenje, Kabwata, Chalala, Kanyama, Ibex Hill, Makeni,Kalin areas etc – you can expand from a lot of angles;

    Palabana area
    Great North Road area leading to the airport through Kalimba
    Njolwe area covering Kyiundu Farms and Leopards Hill area
    Kafue area
    Land behind Chilenje leading to Shantumbu
    Lilayi etc
    Only problem is you have given too much of the land to foreigners who are then re-packaging and re-selling the same area to Zambians at prices these guys never dreamnt that could ever make in their lifetime and generations to come when you yourselves will never be given a simi

  22. A good Leader will embrace his or her people without favouring the rich, but a bad one will scatter them. The same foreigners you keep on embracing in the name of investors & even send your own brothers away,when they go back to their countries they laugh @ us.Let us embrace our cultures of looking after each other. Zambia belongs to us all including compounds you can’t do away with them. Do chinese vote? during elections they collect all the riches they make on the expense of a poor zambian & only come back when elections are over.Its not only foriegners who can build lsk but ideas of both can build Lsk but not sending people away.

  23. Lusaka should start by increasing the industrial base followed by services to include roads and stormwater, water and sewerage then residential areas and related social amenities. Now find the money to implement the proposals.

  24. #22 infact iam told the project will start with a ring road around LSK to deconjest the central district. i.e a truck coming from malawi to livingstone or copperbelt would not have to pass through town. a road will run from somewhere before chongwe to cross leopards hill and finally join kafue road. this ring road will also join Kabwe road via somewhere near the airpot. once its done heavy duty trucks will not damage the great east road so that you can speed on a smooth road on friday to ZENON if you are the type

  25. Alternatively why shouldn’t we just consider starting up a totally new city in the Kafue area with all the facilities instead of worrying about the lusaka expansion programme.

  26. I think it has been long overdue. Hope we have more people with positive inputs to this project than the negatives. If you have negative thoughts before you start any venture, you are certainly bound to achieve zero results!! The idea is to contribute, if we can, all our positives and make known our reservations as well- in a positive fashion. People CAN be relocated to an earmarked location where low cost houses would already have been built for them. Of course roads and other necessary infrastructure should be in place before they are moved. First, people have to agree to the deal- compensation should be availed to appease them. Anything is possible with a will- OBAMA; see what I mean?

  27. it just amazes me just how dull and negatives some zambian can be. I think some of you guys have spent too much time in America . Engines my brother, you seem to be the only one who has the aptitude to understand the straight forward facts laid out in the above article. The population in Lusaka has grown and the infrastructure can’t cope. Lusaka needs to be modernised and needs a ring road system because of the flood of all those Japanese reject cars.it’s straight forward.people on this blog just talk from without. Go to the exibition.

  28. This is good news. But where is the money coming from. People are dying of starvation in muminzi. I hope they will allow the people to develop the city. All they need to do is upgrade the roads and allocate land for expansion. It would be good to erase the kombon’z as well. Build decent even two roomed houses ans allow people to rent than live in almost falling houses with improper roofing. Let’s support this cause but not forget the people in the minzi and the makeshift locations. Viva progressive thinking.

  29. Its good that we are looking and thinking about our city, but we should not forget that Zambia is not just Lusaka Rural areas need the same amount of thought if we are to develop as acountry.Yet on Lusaka, allow me to say that which ever pan we are going to adopt should be done in sach a way that should take into account future population growth.We should have at least four main roads transvert
    the city from one end to the other.

  30. Those of you worried about coming from palabana. Some people live in Kafue and work in Lusaka. I’d suggest the expansion includes improving transport aound town. We cannot afford to have all roads meet in the CBD. We need more trading areas. People don’t always have to to go to town in order to do business. Places like Chelstone need to have have proper shopping malls-they are too far.

  31. Are we able to make our suggestions to these guys online? I hope teta will not spoil everything. Some good suggestions on this forum just rot. There should be a way to make these ideas reach state house.

  32. as long as crooked people are allowed to illegally allocate plots, the only expansion that will be visible are shanty type buildings and developments.

  33. You guys are really a disgrace. Everywhere in the world they build, and they dont even anounce. What is the problem. Just expand or build without talking. Are you really serious with what you talking about. Look at small coutries like Botswana, they are always expanding their towns. Why should you really go on an antihill and anounce such things (UBUTUTU)

  34. Such things should always be there. This is how people still. Just to make people anxious for nothing. Why sure anounce such a sily thing. Akukulenifye. I am happy that Zambians are very clever people. Even if they announce, they still get low votes in town!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  35. A+
    Why don’t u cook up some research and produce a report on what you are saying maybe RB might respond to you.What makes u think state house will pay attention to what you saying? Maybe you know how to reach him.

  36. Are you telling me then that Lusaka has never been planned for expansion since Independence..?? How come this is the first time the authorities are shouting out about expansion from an antihill..!! You Africans suprise me…. and you think you can catch up with the rest of the world with such lack of thought.. or intellect. Shame on all of you. The world favours the intelligent. I stop there….

  37. Can we please build up.

    Instead of houses, give out apartment zones to various real estate business owners in the private sector.

    As for offices, tell them to build up. We need some 10 story buildings.

    Our Central Business District leaves much to be desired. Harare is not doing well but their CBD is 10 years ahead of Lusaka’s.

    Please, tell them to build up and not across.

  38. number 15: so right! that is an idea I’ve personally had for years..the council need to simply raise some of these compounds to the ground. re-building creates jobs and whoever wants can then rent or buy from the council. V simple way of generating an income for further project. as it is, 3/4 of lusaka is slum…john laing, frank, mandevu, chaisa, chipata compound….I have relatives in some of these places…..it isn’t right that a city of only 1-2 million should be in such a state! no running water, rainy season leaves a disgusting mess……..who is the Lusaka mayor anyway?

  39. Mumbwamumbwaz can leave Zambia and go to leave in developed countries but bumumbwamumbwa will always be in their heads. How can one say Lusaka has no room for expansion! How do you think the country you are shouting from developed? By the shallow mindedness like yours. Muchinje, shyaaa! Mtvzzziu!

  40. and anyway, how can you expand the city with no reliable means of transport? look at developed countries…..100 years ago they had commuter trains, inner city trains and even the New York and London Undergound are older than Zambia as a nation at 44 years old! These people planned for expansion, cos they knew that some people will only enter the city for work. If we had working rail network, it’s not impossible for someone in Kabwe or kapiri Mposhi to work in Lusaka and take a 1 hour or 1and 1/2 hour train home. After all, with Lsk congestion, it can take that long to reach Makeni etc by bus!!! and you still have to walk home!!

  41. This is a good plan to expand Lusaka but please Work on the Central Business District. Where are our 20 story glass and steel buildings. Have you seen Harare, Johannesburg, Nairobi.

    Please, work on the Central Business District. Our skyline looks too ugly and plain and also too colonial and too 1980’s.

    We need a more modern glass and steel skyline.

  42. According to the Times of Zambia of Tuesday 18th the plan will cost 12 trillion kwacha.

    For that amount of money we may as well build another capital somewhere else, what is so sacred about Lusaka for us to waste such a ridiculous amount of money on it?

    Honestly there are more urgent things in Zambia than Lusaka

  43. Feasibilty studies is the best way to improve anything. You dont just work up say we shall build that and there. After F you have to start planning. This is the most important of all. Part of planing is financing I mean the money where is it going to come from. Once you have the plan and money to finance a project you can look for manpower and Implement the ideas. It doesnt end there Maintaince and Management is the key to anything we do. If I was to advise the GRZ they should start by fighting load shedding before they can start thinking of expanding cities. This is the major problem facing Zambia today. After from the Hunger is roaming in the country food security means peace.

  44. #2 I told you to visit your uncle to give you some roots to prevent those premature…. Anyway, lets wait and see how beautiful Lusaka will look like, I hope they will allow my kantemba where I sell Celltel scratch cards.

  45. very interesting thots.
    Firstly, you only expand if there is a need. Personally i see no point in building skyscrappers when there is no demand for it. besides you only do up if you have finished building across.

    51 my friend there is nothing wrong in having a flat city. London is very very falt for what it is. infact most businesses like to be on the ground than in the sky. Secondly you talk about the CBD in Joburg, you probably not been there of late i take it, belive you me the Once famous Calton Building is all empty as tall as it is.

  46. If onelooks at Harare, Joburg, Nairobi and Windhoek all these cities have one thing in common. They were all well structured planned, maintained and clean in COLONIAL TIMES. Post Independence, all these cities are in a state of collapse. the infratructure is cricky and in decay.

    To be abit more positive, Lusaka is not as bad as other cities in the East and West Africa. So atleast the planners have got somthing to work with.

  47. #55 I hope you get yourself a name, mulikwete amano mwebo. You know # 57 lives in Washington DC, that city is as flat as you can’t imagine. No building is higher than capital building. The shorter the better!! Lusaka has a massive land from Chongwe to somewhere half-way Mumbwa, from Kafue to Chisamba… why waste money on complicated sky crappers? Consider economy in local minibus transportation too. We have no shortage of land like Island of Japan

  48. please read the whole story in the daily mail. it is just not abut expanding the city but improving it. you talk about these shanty compounds, while when i came to shanghai there was ramshakles like those in chawama but now it is a different story. where 5 years ago such bad buildings today stands tall buildings. we can change lusaka with a good plan and i beleive this is a good plan with time frames in it. the japanese are well known for good infrustracture ad so lets give them a chance and our ideas. a city can be rebuilt.

  49. Is it posible to have access to this Lusaka Master Plan on the net? If only these guys could do this.

    If this Master Plan could be availed on the net, possible investors would have a realistic opportunity to assess their intended projects viabillity. Location of business is cardinal to the success of an investment. A readly available Master plan would have a surprise draw to investment. Planners were are you?

  50. People you can complain!!! A plan is not maintenance. Maintenance is there and plans are there. We are not going to stop polanning just bcoz a road needs maintaining.
    Good job, city council. We have had a Lusaka expanding without direction for a while and look at what has happened now. For once the council needs to be commended for a good start.
    For your information, the town boundaries are not static, they can be moved. Lusaka is not a seperate country. Have a look at the plans b4 condemning.

  51. Its a long overdue plan and needs to be implemented to a high standard. My suggestion is for Goverment to allow experts in construction to undretake this and ensure that they subcontract our Zambian contractors so they can learn from this exercise. That way , we will no longer have kaponya contractors as alluded to by a contributor above.

  52. In all honesty, I am excited with this plan. Lusaka will no longer be the joke of Southern Africa. I also hope they will build up. Flat cities are just ugly.

    The Japanese are good at construction and all you have to do is visit one of their cities to see this. I also hope local contractors will partner with the Japanese and learn a thing or two.

    It is about time Lusaka cleaned up and modernised. We cant have Zambia’s financial and business capital looking like a shanty in the streets of Jo’burg.

    First Lusaka, next Livingstone then Ndola, etc.

    Congratulations LCC and two thumbs up to you.

  53. I agree with you Dog Father that we should just wait and see. Lets be more positive about our country otherwise if we continue to be negative we won’t get anywhere.

  54. Too late should hv done a good job in 1991…all areas are filled up with shanties….and underdeveloped farms…..but we can try if the funds are avalaible i gues

  55. “A comprehensive study to expand the city of Lusaka is underway.

    The Zambian government is currently working with cooperating partners to find best ways of implementing the project

    The study is dubbed ‘Urban Development Master Plan for Lusaka’.”

    Please, work on putting good infrastructure in Kafue Town and then think of moving the President’s House to there. Kafue has a nice touch with the Kafue river and some hilly places. It surely can have new TOWN planning while offering a decongestant move on Lusaka City.

  56. Whilst Lusaka is being expanded, another Master Plan must be under way to build a Satellite City. This happened to Nigeria. They tried to expand Lagos (whose current population is over 12 million, 6 to 7 times bigger than Lusaka). Eventually, they ran out of space, because they wanted a flat city. They slowly but surely started building Abuja, with some displacement of the early settlers. Meaning that you can’t avoid displacements in the light of Expansion and Improvement. Today, Abuja is a wonderful city (I enjoyed staying there than Lagos). You choose where to go depending on your financial muscle. As Grey Zulu put it and I quote “If Canada did it, Nigeria did it, WHY CAN’T WE DID IT”

  57. #11 For your own information, Lusaka on the eastern side ends at airport round about, in the south around Lilayi, in the north around Zanimuone and just after garden house motel on the west. Where are they going to expand??

  58. #24Sometimes when you need to improve things you need to be aggressive. If you treat issues with kid gloves nothing will move. If there are to set up a plan/improve the city, we dont have to worry about who will move. Period!!

  59. #4 Of course there is space to expeand Lusaka. London is a massive city on a small island, so why on earth would it be impossible to expand Lusaka. London’s population is about 8 million and our national population is 10million

    Sometimes I really do wonder. Bearing mind that our population.

    Why do people just complain all the time, what do peole want, it seems there’s no pleasing some people. Expansion would be good so that people are spread out, rather than living like mice all paccked together. This should apply to compounds, so many are breeding grounds for disease and there’s no reason why people should live this in a such a vast country.

  60. #73 maybe look at how some great cities expanded rather than having a defeatist outlook. Lusaka will have to expand. Things can’t stay the same. People are moving out of town onto the other sisde of Lusaka East, down Leoprads Hill Road.

    Maybe go to the town planner’s office and you can see the expansion map.

  61. Good move but should not end with Lusaka alone. In fact,Lusaka could be decongested if our rural towns were improved. Take Choma town, for example. The single street problem could be solved by turning the 2nd, 3rd and 4th streets into wide streets with modern shops and offices. The only hurdle would be what to do with the residential houses on these streets. The council officers had no vision for expansion of Choma town, otherwise they would not have sold the houses on these streets to allow for demolition when need arose.

  62. Seems there are no planners and qualified engineers that side, pay well and that might motivate us to come back and teach you how to plan rather than getting views from the illiterate public.Our country is blessed with natural resources but because of poor leadership that has no vision, we starving our people when we are supposed to be the bread brasket of the region. Lusaka sits on Dolomite/Limestone that is the key ingredient for cement and lime making and yet there is only one cement company that cannot cope with the demand of cement. Water is abundant 365 days a year and yet food is in short supply and expensive. Shame on us.

  63. Let us face it, Lusaka was only a train station. The worst think that ever happened to Zambia was Chiluba as president because with him there was mushrooming unplanned houses everywhere in Lusaka. In the name of private ownership, people even bought school sports facilities for house-building. When they talk about planning, we want to see order the the city’s structures. Good and meaningful routes for easy access to and fro town to avoid the congestion. Why should all traffic passing through Lusaka actually pass through the city?
    Another suggestion: I am told that the plan is on display to the public. Why can’t they also post it on the electronic media so that all Zambians see the plan?

  64. #12 you know hot they will deal with that ? nyama soya will say thoz areas are illegal plots. and pull down the structures thoz pipo live in at 2 in the morning and send them to live in tents temporary in a football pitch mazyopa residents style . after a year or 2 get relocated to some bush out of lusaka . osa chita monga suziba POOR DECISION MAKING PROCESS YAMA LEADERS YATU. bama nvesa nsoni.

  65. people!! we have even seen the plan yet and we r so negative. this is why we cant develope its open for public views. we cant keep on squeezing ourselves for long no wonder maintenance is dificult. every morning we all heading main town direction its pathetic. we need to move forward.

  66. The idea is warmly welcome.We need a modern plan,no shortcuts to save money and do a shored work.
    Reputable companies should get the tender for the better job.No briefcase companies ,please!It is high time Zambia developed.I envy the infrastructure in Botswana.Let us do likewise…..

  67. i agree with #11 but s/he sims to have misdirected him or herself about lsk.the news talks about expanding lsk city not lsk province.technically lsk city has no room for expansion but agreements with stubborn Chiefs like her royal highness Nkomeshya mukamambo 2 to expand the city towards chongwe can be very economical for us.jst for yo record expansion refers to growth while improvement is what refers to development.wen sumthng grows it increases in size but wen it develops it improves in quality.im sure zambians are mo interested in development than growth.anyway lets try the suggested ring road and c whether it will develop us in any wise way.

  68. Thanks Engines.. # 11 its actually amazing how people are quick to show how narrow minded they can be by trolling and criticizing like its going out of fashion. This master plan is being done by the Japanese in consultation with several Govt agencies, if Iam not mistaken it is at the civic centre for people to see. Mwebantu, embrace change, and urge your govt on.

  69. It would be more logical to expand other towns rather than Lusaka. We ran a danger of creating a bemoth of a city with all activity in the country in it with little development in the other twons and outher regions. If parallels are drawn with other cities in the world where only one city is the centre of “all and sundry”, the quality of life in the main city is heavily compromised as all the services are under extreme pressure and phenomenal juxta positions will fester. Lusaka has nothing more than more bodies than other towns. This could be the opportunity to spread Zambia’s wealth by spreading the expansion scheme to a number of towns. This way the urban growth will be more sustained.

  70. Lusaka expansion!!! it’s really funny how towns on the Copperbelt have been neglected whilst the same Lusaka has seen some sort of ‘development’ over the last few years. already we are talking about expanding Lusaka when roads in ‘cities’ like Kitwe are virtually non-existant.
    where is the sense of priority in this country of ours?
    The Copperbelt province practically carries this country on it’s back when you consider it’s contribution to our economy.

    PRIORITISE PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  71. # 45
    That’s the point. The government is too remote. The moment those guys get elected you can’t approach them. They lose touch with the people who put them in power, if it’s the people who really put them in power. It would be nice to give it a shot though.

  72. #11 Nalande ifya mano. Do not be miopic. Lusaka can be expanded. Those who have studied Land Management and Regularisation of Informal Settlements would not doubt the plan!! Many cities arouns the world have undergone similar patterns of growth and expansion. The Favelas of Brazil is an example. Kanyama and Misisipi compund would have to be dealt with! I look foward to it guys!

  73. its interesting to listen to many with negative comments, Expansion of Lusaka has nothing to do with maintenance failures of the fact. Having failed to feed your family for the past few days can not stop you from dreaming big guys! somany such projects have been conducted…….in Amstadam, Rottadam, Antwerp……….No 11 and 89 are knowlegeable, Zambians, when are we ever going to give support to good ideas even when we dont understand…….thats when we even criticise the most, lets change and develop a positive contribution………am out

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