GOVERNMENT has spent over US$7 billion on infrastructural development over the last four years, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Chishimba Kambwili has said.
And Mr Kambwili says some opposition political parties are practicing immature politics and want to get into power without regard for the people.
Speaking when he addressed Kasama and Mpulungu residents, Mr Kambwili, who is chief government spokesperson, said he is surprised that some opposition political leaders are condemning the government for borrowing money for infrastructure development.
He urged the electorate to give the Patriotic Front (PF) a chance to develop the country.
“We have done over US$7 billion worth of infrastructural development since the PF came into power. We have turned Zambia into a construction site which is in turn providing employment to the people,” Mr Kambwili said.
He said the country cannot develop without borrowing.
He also said Government has managed to construct schools, hospitals and roads under the Link Zambia 8000 road project.
“The opposition leaders that are condemning the government for borrowing to construct roads are busy using the same roads during the campaigns. I think the politics being practiced are immature and people should assess that some of these politicians do not mean well for the country,” he said.
And Mr Kambwili wondered why some opposition leaders are blaming President Lungu for load shedding when it is as a result of a natural cause.
The minister assured Zambians that the government is constructing various power-generation plants that will result in the country exporting power by 2025.
“We need to practise mature politics. Some opposition leaders want people to feel the pain of suffering so that they can vote against the PF,” Mr Kambwili said.
He said the government is also spending huge sums of money to import various products, which has resulted in high commodity prices.
“The way forward is to start setting up manufacturing industries so that we add value to the agricultural products,” he said.
Yes Mr Kambwili We need mature politics from everyone involved. The ruling party and the opposition being allowed to explain their developmental or intended plans without being Technical disadvantaged by blacking them out using state machinery. No calling a spade a spade while insulting each other with tribal or regional remarks. Let the Govt borrow and use the money wisely and avoid building roads expensively and within three months after construction the roads develop dams where there were potholes. Good lucky to all presidential and parliamentarian job seekers in August
It’s all just on paper. The bulky of that money grew legs.
Mr Kambwili, tell us how much of that money went in paying bribes. You spent so much money building white elephants when you could have used the same money investing in the productive sector. The more jobs you create the more infrastructure the emerging middle class will build and create more employment opportunities
Very sad that is the only song they can sing.The f00l is even saying they have turned the country into a construction site.Cant they see that this is the cause of the problems we now face?Every country needs infrastructure but it has to be sustainable.Clearly the current infrastructure development is not sustainable and is the reason for our problems.And they want to retain into government so that they borro more?
Does he even know how a construction site looks like? A week ago I was in Lusaka, Ndola, Kitwe, Kabwe and Livingstone and I did not see what this man is claiming. If Zambians want to know how a place is turned into a construction site they should visit Gaborone, Botswana. kambwili’s bragging is hollow. Well, he was cheating villagers so they swallowed his lies hook, line and sinker.
Can this hippo he point at these so called infrastructure projects? and fully explain how they have benefited the Zambian people and account for each dollar spent? Can he explain the rampant levels of corruption that have become a part of these so called projects? And where has that money gone?
And after spending 7 billion USD, the fastest selling items in the shops are candles and generators.!!!
Great success Mr. Kambwili. Do you have any more of “success” stories?
What about “successful” rampant corruption which is the biggest beneficiary of 7 billion dollars?
No comment?
As to your statement “…We have turned Zambia into a construction site which is in turn providing employment to the people…”, can you PLEASE advice when you will close construction site in Ngwerere which has been in existence from September 2012 WITHOUT ANY PROGRESS so far?
Please, do not BS in public.
They have spent $7billion on projects that are on average three times more expensive than they should be. That means that at least $4.7billion has been stolen by PF and their minions. These criminals have mortgaged Zambia.
Mr. Kambwili should be ashamed that most of the paved roads are substandard. Can Mr. Kambwili be happy that the road from Vic Falls to Chief Mukuni was well paved? Kabwe longest road is the worst paved road in Zambia. All the money used to achieve substandard paved roads has been wasted. Where was the government when contractors paved substandard roads that stretch many kilometers? These substandard roads could have been stopped by the time contractors paved between 3 to 5 Kilometers, if we had a good working government. I think the government – ministers have no eyes to see. I have never heard the government asking the contractors to re-do the substandard roads at their own cost or jailing the owners for stealing by paving substandard roads. Mr. Kambili is rejoicing in substandard works.
What do we have to show for all that $7 billion?
What we have to show for all that KALOBA that we will have to pay back WITH INTEREST and will be nearly TWENTY BILLION DOLLARS is –
1. Job losses on the mines
2. Prices of everything more than double
3. Kwacha worth less than half of its value in 2011
4. No water in the capital city
5. Load shedding country wide
6. Bloated government and new ministers
7. Shambolic hospitals with no facilities
8. Lots of new universities that are non-functional
9. New districts
10. Very fat politicians!
Was it worth the money? Kambwili, now please tell us how you are going to repay this debt.
YOU FORGOT TO MENTION THAT!
It is true Edgar is Chagwa.How else can he even praise this Gorrilla.The opposition s work has been made easy.Let this lot go.AAnd they claim that the opposition only win online.The same trend happened with MMD and PF itself.Wind back to 2010 to 2011 when life was affordable,we had intelligent leaders like Situmbeko,Mutati,Chituwo,Pande and the economy was performing but MMD lost.This is 2016 and we have Kambwili,Kampyongo,the reject Dora Siliti,not to mention their inconsistent President.The econmy is in tatters and their only campaign message is infrastructure development and claiming their opponents are tribalists.And how do you send a Minister who within 4 years looks like a pig being made ready for market day to go and address starving villagers?You mean these villagers are *****s…
And the BUFFOON is saying it with pride…what a RECKLESS imbecile!!
He even said if one was to throw a stone, chances are that it would land on a PF spearheaded project
So according to thickneck we have to keep on borrowing if we are to develop. Hmmm what a prospect. How do we pay back?
I would have loved to hear him also give a list of the projects & how much each has cost.
Next time put priorities in the order they deserve. My order is 1. food on the table, 2 shelter, 3. education, 4. others….including roads which are properly made…..good governance.
Our current power deficit is 1000MW.
Kafue Lower which will cost $2bn will bring 1000MW by 2021.
So with $7bn we can build three such projects yielding 3500MW. We export the 2500MW which is surplus to our needs earning US$ which services the interest and pays for new roads in the country.
Roads are good, but in the absence of supporting infrastructure like power, the roads alone cannot pay interest and cannot create jobs
And where did the money come from??????????
One thing we can be sure of is that this clown and his PF did not earn it!!!
Spending is easy, especially if you do not have to account for it.
Putting money in the bank is the HARD PART.
Tell us how much you and Lungu have COLLECTED AND SAVED TO PAY BACK THESE LOANS !!???????
NOTHING! That will be somebody else’s job. On that one you have FAILED COMPLETELY!!!
USELESS CLOWN.
including road which have no vehicles. what a waste of public resources!
$7Billion! Wow, it took KK 27years to spend that money. It is plain to see what KK and UNIP did with that type of money. I honestly cannot see $7Billion worth of infrastructure in Zambia. Mr Kambwili, where has this money gone? You will surely be called to account. I suspect most of this money has gone into kickbacks and politicians pockets. Kaya!
August 11 yafika!
Kambwili please tell us how are we going to pay back? This hippo should not be given a vote at all his useless to the nation!!!!