Lundazi district cut off as RDA takes the heat

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Another culvert at Chamanguvu bridge along the Chipata -Lundazi road has been washed away,  barely a week after Lundazi district was cut off from Chipata when a similar situation happened at Lusangazi stream.

Eastern Province Minister, Isaac Banda, who visited the area on his way from Lundazi to Chipata, accused the contractor and the Road Development Agency (RDA) of negligence.

” We can not allow this kind of situation to happen. Why should we always talk about the Chipata/Lundazi road as if there are no other areas of development?’’ he asked.

Mr. Banda said the contractor had put signs of warning at the area, indicating that the culvert was not strong but could not do anything until a bus got trapped following the weakening of the soil which was left hanging after the metal rings were vandalized.

He said the RDA should have taken interest in monitoring the areas which had danger signs to determine whether the areas were strong enough to allow vehicles to pass.

Mr. Banda observed that the behaviour of Rubex Contractors Limited (RCL) and RDA was not good as it tarnished the image of government.

Eastern Province Permanent Secretary, Kelvin Kamuwanga who also visited the area, said the RCL should not have gone on Christmas break when they knew that certain parts of the road it was working on were a danger to motorists.

Lundazi District Commissioner, Masauso Banda, said in 2006, he informed the RDA about the culverts that were on the verge of collapsing along the Chipata/Lundazi road but nothing was done to them.

And there was a traffic jam 95 kilometers from Chipata at Chidongo village in chief Mwasemphangwe’s area after an NPS passenger bus got stuck when trying to cross the bridge.

The villagers are reported to have removed the metal rings from the culvert, leaving only an unsupported hole which collapsed when the bus was crossing, forcing its rear wheels to get trapped.

Meanwhile, Eastern Province Roads Engineer, Michael Lungu, said Sable contractor had been contacted to work on the bridge immediately, on humanitarian grounds.

Mr. Lungu noted that Sable will also work on the Lusangazi and Kazonde culverts which had been washed away earlier.

Currently a Juldan passenger bus which was traveling from Lundazi failed to cross the Chamanguvu bridge. Buses are exchanging passengers when they reach Chamanguvu bridge.

RCL which is working on a 100 kilometer stretch of the Chipata/Lundazi road at a cost of K 79.6 billion, and has put danger signs on culverts that are on the verge of collapse, has gone on industrial break.

Last week, a truck laden with timber fell into the Lusangazi stream after the culvert on the stream collapsed following the vandalizing of metal rings by villagers.

ZANIS/SM/ENDS/MM

34 COMMENTS

  8. The Govnment should employee qualified civil engineers who will be able to advice the govenment on the design,bridge specs,and also supervise the construction of these bridges and roads not forgetting the buildings.These engineers should be paid competitive salaries like their counterpants in the private sector and mines.If Govnment cannot afford to employee qualified engineers,government can always engage the services of NCC to supervise the projects on their behalf but these will come at a cost.The law on vandalism of public infrustructure should be revisited as well as this is retanding development and putting property and lives of people at risk.Vandals should be punished same like r

  9. Collapsing bridges it is because of ” The Global Economic crisis” says Shikapwasha

    Everything ku zed numba is Global Economic crisis. RB married to his daughter “Global Economic crisis”

    Ubu teko bwa mbushi, mwe mbushi mwe ba chipanzi

  12. read the new zambia blog, the issue of passports mwe bantu. everyone is affected by the global economic crisis as ronald shikapwasha rightly points out.

  13. #10, you cracked all my ribs, didn’t spare one at all, all cracked this time around….. Nthowa ya kanele kuyaka sono… :)):)):)):)):)):)):)):)):)):)):)):)):))=))=))=))=))=))=))**==**==**==**==

  14. #10, I think LT digs our Tumbuka.. I wish they would bring in Nsenga language from ‘PETAUKE TOO’; mmm do I love that proud language. Not a bemba lyonse –ati– ine kuti na kuma.. ine kuti nakulya , ine etc, etc etc, ineeee… mwe bize……:-@:-@:-@:-@#:-s#:-s#:-s#:-s#:-s#:-s#:-s**==**==

  16. tumbuka bull, iyo ni ndembela ya caro ci kasi? walyanga sapa lino, ukalya breakfast nyengo uli? ine nkudikira lunch yane apa. Baoli bane bali mu kitchen.

  17. #@15, #16, ine nyengo nkhuya mkugona sono, imwe ni supper time.. time zone difference nadiii….

    Mtauzyeko ba oli benu with all respect…and I mean it…

    Ine ba LT ba nguchinjisa zina inyake iyo nkukhumba or nkumanya yayi.., :)>-:)>-:)>-:)>-:)>-:)>-:)>-:)>-

  21. i think RDA needs a facelift.44 years after independence we are still allowing such cases of negligence that endanger the lives of citizens.will it take another worn out bridge collapsing,this time under the presidential benz,in order for the goverment to get to work? :-l:-l:-l:-l:-l

  23. People, I am tired hearing how tax payers´money is being worsted on poor projects. This all comes because we always give our friends contacts who are not qualified to do such jobs. Let us try to award projects to companies that are qualified so that can make durable infrastructures. :((:((:((:((:((:((

  24. Sad news!

    “Lundazi District Commissioner, Masauso Banda, said in 2006, he informed the RDA about the culverts that were on the verge of collapsing along the Chipata/Lundazi road but nothing was done to them.”

    It is always known that there are such potential problems to occur, but our leaders have terribly failed us in terms of being proactive because they always like to be reactive to situations of this nature and any other calamities on the nation.

  25. Strictly speaking such incidents shudnt happening.In civil engineering we ve five types of bridges to consruct but in real experience those bridge along lundazi are temporal measures.check on victory falls bridge,along tuta road & one along zambezi river in tete.A culvert is just the cheapest pipe to just divert h20 in one direction.Corruption & lack of maintance is to blame.

  28. Ba RDA Director bunda bwa masuti. lets see you working and not been pompus for nothing. Raubex is failing us even in Solwezi the road you worked on is bleeding like there was no Consultant on site, what a Consultant? failing to mend a pothole yapa Mitech, mwe mbwa mwe.

  30. Damn!!!!!! when is ther government ever going to realise that Sable is crap. They have been giving cotracts to these guys for the last 8 years in eastern province and nothing good has come out of it. ~X(

  31. Iwe ka #27 respect yourself!! give us your physical address so that we see who the real coward is. Mumaso mwagogo bako!! Incase you are a Bemba twit which I believe you are,mumaso ni mumenso waumfwa kapala. Kwene uleke vifusi naving’unu,mwana wambula kwako iwe!! Hake!!! Thu!!!!!!

  32. Nozyani makakola nthowa iyo. Kumalo kuchita kwati ku fuma vikoko. Tukhumbaso nkalamabwe yayi:((:((:((:(|):(|):@):@)3:-o3:-o3:-o:(|):(|)

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