Northern Province Minister Freedom Sikazwe has asked Chinese investors to assist government stamp out corruption in the construction sector.
Mr. Sikazwe says government is concerned with some foreign contractors that are bribing their way into winning contracts for capital projects like road construction.
He said the Patriotic Front Government has made it clear that corruption will not be tolerated in any sector of the country’s economy.
Mr. Sikazwe stated that Chinese contractors just like any other investors must compete for contracts based on their capability to do the work and not on bribery.
He observed that the growing trend where corruption has infiltrated the construction sector has resulted in shoddy works on most capital projects in Northern Province.
Mr. Sikazwe however said the government has put in place measures to detect and prosecut anyone found wanting for corruption related offences.
The Minister was speaking when the President for Chinese Association in Zambia Roger Lee paid a courtesy call on him at his office in Kasama recently.
And Mr. Lee has pledged to sensitize all Chinese Investors doing business in the country on the need for them to refrain from any acts of corruption in their dealings.
He said the Chinese Government is in full support of President Michael Sata and his administration’s fight against corruption in the country.
Mr. Lee explained that his visit to Northern Province was aimed at exploring business opportunities for Chinese firms in different sectors of the economy.
He observed that the northern region provides numerous investment opportunities for Chinese investors in sectors such as bridge and road construction as well as tourism.
Mr. Lee further has since offered to market the investment potential of Northern Province to many Chinese firms in a bid to enhance investment in the area.
ZANIS
Yes, good plea. However, tell the Vice-President to at once stop the nonsense that he exhibited in Livingstone.
Government does not need to carry cash to give to people or organisation at public meetings. They should just do their jobs. Period!
We would rather get money from foreigners with strings attached than from our own. Amazing especially trying to help abantu abalenyela amafi pambilibili.
There is indeed a normal, legal and professional way of doing this by any Government. Next time, they will be giving money at public rallies to buy ambulances, to repair roads, or build sleeping facilities at bus stations.
We all want good and acceptable sanitary conditions for marketeers, patrons of those markets, travellers and the general public, but we don’t want our people to be made beggars by our Government. After all, the money they are disbursing is not their own, but public funds that have been collected from our people’s hard-earned meagre salaries.
That is a silly plea…how can he ask the chinese when the are just contract bidder and government is the contract giver…i think this is an internal GRZ issue if at all corruption was to ”stamped” out in the construction sector…Let GRZ introduce tuff punishments for people found guilty of corruption…that i think will be the answer for now..legislation
Chinese investors dont work in he government. The problem is the Zambian, only he/she can solve it…
It seems the easiest way to grab a headline if you are a PF official is to say any sentence with the word ‘corruption’ in it.
So what exactly did he want the china man to do?
What help wa he asking for?
@Bamba Zonke, I guess you are MMD who are known to love corruption so much. That is why you removed the abuse of office clause from the ACC act. Sikazwe talked about BRIBING YOUR WAY TO GET A CONTRACT. He mentioned ROAD CONSTRUCTION where the Chinese are heavily involved. This is true. Some are able to get contracts corruptly but are not up to the tasks technically. Corruption has giver and taker! Both must be talked to, man!
Calling for end to corruption starts with yourself!
Guys i know PF and corruption is just talk but be patient because what starts as talk takes root in the general public. The more talk we have regarding corruption the more the general public becomes senstized and educated on the evils\ills of corruption. So even if this is just talk it is planting seeds in peoples minds and one day it will bear fruit. well i hope it does, otherwise Africa is a failed continent. The more gov talks about corruption the more we will hold them to their word.
As long as there are Zambians not willing to work hard enough to make it,there will be corruption.It is the cancer of “making it the easy way”
Asking the Chinese to help in the fight against corruption is liken to asking vampires in assisting you in a blood donation scheme…remember that the Chinese are new to this game of investing and they didn’t have any foreign reserves 20 years, its up to us put stringent guidelines.Â
But what do you Zambians want? You want the promotion of corruption ninshi te?
Looks like the poor Ministers have no idea of the big picture, PF does a donchi kubeba even on their own Ministers but am sure a few of them have smelt the coffee by now.
Sounds like the minister didn’t receive enough cash as expected from Mr. Lee.
corruption song of the day everyone is dancing PF get to work please dont ask the same thieves u re gunning to help u their fellow theives
The level of incompetence with our politicians is very much scary! How can you ask someone who is looking out to get the best deal to help you pay them less? It’s Government’s job to root corruption out and if you’re failing then let those that are serious do the job. When Late president Mwanawasa was fighting corruption, it’s these same ministers who where frustrating him.
Why do you need the Chinese to help you, why do you think you’re in the office for? Do you remember that you did not like the presence of the Chinese when you were outside the realms of power. What is your strategy for fighting corruption honorable minister sir?
This PF govt is full of amatures for sure, where is the experience so much song about a few months ago? How on earth does a minister make such a plea with an investor? Fighting corruption is the sole business of the govt and only asking other to help. Now investors to fight and govt to help, for real it is “dochi kubeba we have no plan” PF. This govt needs help and help should go they way soon
How can the Chinese help uncorrupt Zambia? By not offering bribes? Well Chinese are not known for bribes. Or by telling fellow bidders from other countries not to offer Zambians bribes? He he he he he!
INVESTIGATE SABLE TRANSPORT, THIS GUY HAS CORRUPTLY OBTAINED CONTRACTS TO DO UP SOME ROADWORK CONSTRUCTION AND THE WORK HAS BEEN POORLY DONE AND HAS ALSO BEEN DEALING IN MANY OTHER DUBVIOUS DEALS DEALS DURING R.B. RULE AND IN FAVOUR HE HAS BUILT R.B. A HUGE DAM AT HIS FARM. .COME ON DEC YOU A HAVE BIG JOB ON YOUR HANDS.
Oh my! This is like giving a gun to a thief and asking him to help combat violent crime…
What iron. Asking the wolf to guard the sheep.
well ,my comment is do not target on chinese contractors only , they are so many powerful contractors from south african , or any other countries ! open your eyes GRZ , YANGZJIANG CONSTRACTION IS A FAKE COMPANY , THE DIRECTOR IS OLD FOX , XU JIAN XUE (MR ) , pretend he is a professional engineer , but hence he is just english interpreter. he bribed a lot of money and goods to former GRZ , yet he still does that now , he will never stop do that ,because he needs more contracts for his company , he is one of the director at collum coal mines , that company is shameful company to chinese investors , making huge amount of profit but offer lowest wellfare to the employees , he managed to buy alot of luxury house / loft at sydney,perth in Australia ,, and huge amount of money in swiss bank ,
start investigate him now , BA SATA . i know you know him long ago , but fight against curruption does not mean to zambian only , even currupted chinese contrator / indian , whites as long as they commited offence ,do not leave them survive luxury . PF show us you are working , i agree alot of road constructed recently , is now in poor quality , i wonder if the bidder did that because of they did not receive enough money from the budget or they are just doing artificial work to the public to show that they have worked . RDA or concerned authority please have the road work checked before giving people access , because the bidder will say : the road did not get ready , but people have started access . Hence the bidder did that deliberately. they are so many of the stories like this .