Former Works and Supply Minister Mike Mulongoti has charged that the move by cabinet to demolish government buildings around Ridgeway area in Lusaka to construct new ultra-modern office blocks to be called Jubilee City is a misplacement of priorities.
Cabinet recently approved plans to raze down Government offices near Ridgeway which includes offices for most Government Ministries, Police Headquarters and the Zambia State Intelligence Services.
But Mr Mulongoti who is now President of the opposition People’s Party said there is no need to bring down existing Government offices and replacing them with new office blocks.
He charged that the Jubilee City project is another ploy by the PF government to plunder public resources.
“This is not a priority for Zambia especially that this Government is broke. This just goes to show that they lack priority because there are many areas that need attention,” Mr Mulongoti said.
The People’s Party leader said Government is not being sincere when it says that the Jubilee City will be funded through the Public Private Partnership model but that they will borrow from China.
He said there is nothing wrong with the current state of Government offices but that regular upgrades are required.
Mr Mulongoti said the decision to construct Jubilee City further confirms that the PF Government is only interested in developing Lusaka.
“It appears that this Government only concentrates on Lusaka, they think Zambia is Lusaka and that is why all infrastructure developments are focused on Lusaka. They can channel that money to developing other areas which are in dire need of development.”
Envy!!!1 at it’s best ba Mulongoti
I’m of the idea that the govt first finishes the pending projects such as roads, schools, clinics, district administration offices in new districts, UNZA & Evelyn Hone Hostel expansions and the many more, before embarking on new ones.
Otherwise the whole country will be littered with unfinished projects which may ultimately lead to failure.
Can someone in Zambia put in an injunction to stop these guys from doing something fo olish and desparate to some of these historic buildings until after the presidential elections in 2016 when hopefully, some intelligent bloke would have taken over GRZ.
Please, please GRZ, do not repeat the same mistake you did to DAG HAMMERSKJOLD stadium in Ndola.
I am not surprised at this misplaced priority by the Power Failure(PF) govt. It is the same cabinet that approved, “Gabon Disaster Stadium” as a name for the stadium in Matero. Honestly, just with this example, it shows how inept and incompetent our cabinet is. My suggestion, please build Jubilee City elsewhere, if you have the money and refurbish/renovate current buildings
We are hearing of riots in Livingstone,any news?
What GRZ may wish to do intelligently, is to put some of the old GRZ buildings if at all not currently occupied on rent so that they can generate some revenue. Just like what other bloggers have suggested, GRZ can construct their so called modern buildings on virgin land and there is pretty. I am so disappointed with any GRZ official who sheepishly voted for such a sh…t venture.
PF priority setting can only be compared to a mother buying Brazilian hair at K4000 per three months and spending about K500 per month to maintain it and spending K1 500 in a saloon to have it fixed on her head. On top of this she is driving a 5series BMW 2014 mark, yet her own child is in hospital being treated for under-nutrition (malnutrition). That is PF planning at its best.
Molongoti!,,,,, i have lost track of this man; you never know when is telling the truth or lies!!,,, facts or fiction!!!
“Ultra-modern” I think it is only in Zambia they call anything new as “Ultra”.
True. Even the most useless thing that is constructed in Zambia is called a “state of art” something. ZNBC is a “state of art television/radio station. The fly over bridge was called this when it was built. The new stadium is also this. My foot!
@Nostradamus
dont forget those pyramids in Lusaka are also Ultra
Vocal Mulongoti at it again. Notwithstanding, there are more pressing issues that require urgent attention. This is one of the rare times Mulongoti seems to speak sense.
Let that new building be built between Lusaka and Chisamba or Kafue. Government can find land and contruct such modern structures to give the surrounding area of Lusaka a face lift. Grab land from Chishimba Kambwili, land from Somalis along Great North Road before they eventually house terrorists Al shabab. Remember its unIslamic to betray fellow musilms, that is why fight against islamic terror is hard anywhere in the world including in Islamic countries.
Grab the land from these ba mwisa and develop it to benefit Zambians. Reposess land from Kambwili, auction the houses and channel the money to develop Luanshya and other areas to benefit all Zambians.
Vocal Mulongoti at it again. Notwithstanding, there are more pressing issues that require urgent attention. This is one of the rare times Mulongoti seems to speak sense. Lets learn to give credit where its due.
I agree with with Mulongoti 100% because Zambia as a nation doesnt need to demolish such a building to put up another one.Why not convert it into some college of University.As a matter of fact it would be better than some universities mushrooming around like were kambwili went to.The cost of demolishing ,building costs logistics and planning could be avoided if GRZ could just find some place ,build this so called mdern building than building from the scatch.
You cant build new things if you are unable to maintain what you have got.End of the story .This is just a back door means of trying to rob tax payers money.
Mulongoti,
Read and research before you open that mouth. No one mentioned Force HQ and Red Bricked House. It is those cardboard offices hod the money housing RATSA and the money will come from private sector under PPP.
Please Govt, dont be myopic. If you want to construct new offices, get land somewhere in Chilanga, Kafue even on those mountains after chongwe and construct your jubilee city. That will expand the city and preserve the history of our country. Cabinet offices are historical!
Ba Mulongoti,
Eimwe mwakwata sick ya mukanwa. Development ya chalo chonse itampila mu capital city.
Ukuilishanya uko has no basis. However, I would support you if EL government was to start building state house as was the case of RB’s proposition when he was President of Zambia. That one is a misplaced priority.
Borrowing for development is a positive investment. Your agony is the fact that you are not going to benefit as you did when you were Supplies minister. You lost it while the MMD was still in power. Sorry bamboo, achimwene, ba mwisho, ba yama.
That may end up as white elephants like Dag Hamashoed stadium in Ndola in the 80s. After destroying the structure they failed to rebuild it up to now. A week ago we heard of poor construction of a mortuary
Please build those new buildings at places like Rufunsa or Chisamba and move the capital city there like Nigeria did. Lusaka is congested and dirty and embarrasing at the same time to the visitors and even ourselves.
There are times when I think we Zambians really do not know what we want. Instead of wasting time with the little space inside Lusaka, why not choose a location along Kafue, Mumbwa, Chongwe or Chisamba areas, to construct the Jubilee City? We lack imagination!
The jubilee city will be self contained – shopping malls, cinema hall, banks,etc. There will be no need for people in this area to flock to town or levy or manda hill/arcades. This is one way of deconjesting town-bound roads. The PPP is well known for such projetcs – even HH will participate.
Typical Zambians, busy complaining online as opposed to protesting at parliament to show these fat necks that, we the voters are in charge of our destiny and not them. I always pray for my beloved pathetic nation.
uncle,
Your prayers have not been heard. Pray harder by coming back to Zambia and vote.
Uncle wa mufyalo fyabene…alefwaya fye ukupela ama orders ati “do that, just do that, and that). You just complain and cry faul when things happen.
Who are you to give orders to the government when you don’t vote, you even insult the voters. Fumeni apa abantu benebene babombeko. Ifitala fya busenshi. Your beloved pathetic country is with you where you are. Liar… you are not a voter.
Mwe Bena Bwali, mwe ndoshi mwe!! Shimagater – he is saying it exactly as it is. *****Building when everything else in tatters?!?
What is the need of building highrise buildings for us (foreigners) to see in Lusaka while deep in the rural areas people are starving residing in mud houses? Which should come first? That is like washing a cup from outside leaving it dirty inside. Why can’t we adjust the current immediate problems before we think of new projects whose importance is not urgent? Do you wish to misappropriate sums of money to be allocated for these proposed projects? That does not require a vision to evaluate, its simple reasoning.
MAN KENYA – So, Govt. should go into the rural areas, give people housing and free food?
Build whatever you want but don’t call it a city. Who will be the mayor of this city? Mulenga Sata or who? No wonder we call everything international. Just call it Jubilee Centre and not City. Oh, I forgot that many many PF ministers have never been to uni.
@black woman uli chikopo! People must not waste their energies explaining anything to a semiliterate like you!
I agree with with Mulongoti 100% because Zambia as a nation doesn’t need to demolish such historic buildings to put up another one.Why not just convert it into some college or University. As a matter of fact it would be better than some universities mushrooming around like were kambwili went to. The cost of demolishing , building , logistics and planning could be avoided if GRZ could find some place ,build this so called modern building than building from the scratch.
You cant build new things if you are unable to maintain what you have got.End of the story .This is just a back door means of trying to rob tax payers money. Look at London for instance .It prides itself from having old buildings dating from as far as the 1890s and early 1900s.Why is Kambwili in such a hurry ?
Mulongoti at it again, very good at misinterpreting things. This project private and public partnership project were govt will provide the land and the private sector will fund the building of the complex.
The project will create employment both during construction and after completion, not to mention the additional modernisation of the city to make more attractive for investors and tourists.
Over 1000 years ago, London was a collection of villages. Today London is Mike Mulongoti’s shopping ground. In 1700, New York was a ship harbour, today its a mega city. Decision made by successive government to demolish this and that must be supported. So when government decides to beautify a place lets support it and not just criticise for sake of doing so. Mulongoti’s grand children will be one’s working there probably not even 1 Chagwa’s grand children. In fact 60% of Lusaka must be re-built. Starting with the eye-sore Kamwala and Second-Class trading area. These must be demolished as well. Lusaka needs a facelift. So thumbs up to PF, from Roads to Building Good Job. Ba Mulongoti please go to Nairobi and Addis Ababa, and learn from what our…