Parliament today heard that the feasibility studies to construct a bridge on the Zambezi River in Zambezi district will soon commence.
Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications, Yamfwa Mukanga, told the House in a supplementary response that his ministry will engage the Road Development Agency (RDA) to conduct feasibility studies and construction of the bridge would take a period of one year.
Mr Mukanga, who is also Patriotic Front (PF) Kantanshi Member of Parliament (MP), said the cost of the bridge would be determined once the designs are done.
The bonus answer arose from Solwezi West MP, Humphrey Mwanza, who wanted to find out whether the government has any plans to construct a bridge across the Zambezi River to connect Zambezi East to Zambezi West Constituencies, when the plans will be implemented, what the estimated cost of the project is and what the time-frame for completion of the project is.
The Fourth Session of the Eleventh National Assembly, which adjourned sine die on March 26, this year, resumed sitting yesterday and is expected to discuss wide-ranging issues in its life.
The Referendum and Constitutional Amendment Bill was tabled in the House yesterday to shape the constitution-making programme which Zambia has embarked on and many other bills are expected to be tabled in the due course of this session.
The House is also expected to ratify the appointment of Justice Esau Chulu as Electoral Commission of Zambia Chairperson.
It will be without PF Bangweulu law-maker, Chifita Matafwali, who died in India last month.
Chawama law-maker, Lawrence Sichalwe, (PF), who succeeded President Edgar Lungu in the constituency, took his seat in the House including his Chisamba counterpart, Moses Muteteka (MMD), who was recently pardoned from prison by President Edgar Lungu.
Formerly Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) MPs returned to the House on ruling PF tickets and these are Senga Hill’s Kapembwa Simbao and his Masaiti counterpart, Michael Katambo following their re-election in Parliamentary by-elections held in their respective constituencies.
The House would in due course receive three members from Petauke Central, Malambo and Mulobezi constituencies after by-elections slated for June 30, this year.
Mukanga at it again. Even before feasibility studies are done, even before the costs are determined, Mukanga is sure the bridge will be constructed within a year. After Chikwanda’s statement about the budget and deficit, and how he will resort to borrowing for the next half of the fiscal year, I doubt very much Mukanga’s promise of a bridge on Zambezi.
MY FRIEND, SHOULD A BRIDGE BE TAKING YEARS? WHAT YOU SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT IS POOR DESIGN OF MOST BRIDGES IN ZAMBIA. TAKE FOR INSTANCE TUTA BRIDGE ON THE LUAPULA RIVER. IT’S ONE VERY LONG AND MONOTONOUS BRIDGE WITH NOTHING TO BREAK THE MONOTONY. LEVY MWANAWASA BRIDGE IS SIMILARLY A VERY CHEAP AND POOR DESIGN. ON THOSE BEAUTIFUL RIVERS WE NEED BRIDGES THAT EVEN ATTRACT BOTH LOCAL AND FOREIGN TOURISTS. DO NOT ONLY GIVE THE CHINESE TO DO BRIDGES. SET A COMPETITIVE GROUND WHERE CHINA, MALAYSIA, JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA, GERMANY, ETC COMPETE. CITIZENS SHOULD ALSO HAVE A SAY IN CHOOSING THE BRIDGE PROTOTYPES. TUTA BRIDGE IS SO LOW IT CAN’T EVEN ALLOW A REASONABLE BOAT TO PASS UNDER. SO, WE ARE NOT THINKING AHEAD FOR WATER TRANSPORT.
I hope this will not result into more fighting between the lundas and the luvales as onto which Location the Bridge should be costructed.
@ Looks,
Exactly my thoughts. Those two Senior Clowns in Zambezi will certainly fight over the location of the bridge. In the end the bridge will just remain on paper. Throughout Zambia, those two are the most divisive chiefs. The one on the east bank being worse.
Looks dont you know that the Lundas are not interested in this bridge because they have no bussiness with the femine prone western part of Zambezi which belongs to Luvales.Its Luvales who need the bridge so that they migrate easily to the fertile Lunda east part of Zambezi and so there will be no arguments over the bridge.
Just hot air. It wont happen. Dont listen to chipuba
What a big big lie in Zambezi space. Never believe them for your vote soon. Great lies.
Those are lies for real………it was just yesterday when Chikwanda stopped RDA from signing more contracts becoz of the pressure on the budget. I even wonder if the township roads will be completed with what we are hearing now.
The problem withMukanga is that he has been washed into eating too much that he has forgotten about his suffering from the mines where he was fired. Now he is just cheating thinking we as stupid as he is. National airline, now its the bridge, this chap, who does he think he is? time shall catch up with you very soon chipuba mukanga.