implementation and monitoring Luck Mulusa (second right) paying a
courtesy call on senior chief Kalilele (left) of the Lamba people of
Solwezi on Thursday. Picture by BETRAM KAOMA /ZANIS
SPECIAL assistant to the President Project Implementation and Monitoring Lucky Mulusa has demanded the termination of the contract of African Contractors building the government medium cost houses in Choma due to poor works and use of substandard materials.
Mr Mulusa who was in Choma to check on government projects at the weekend was disappointed to discover that ceiling board from one of the newly built houses was falling apart.
Mr Mulusa who could not hide his disappointment wondered what the building engineer was doing to have allowed such works and also questioned why the chief planner and the building engineer allowed the contractor to use substandard materials.
He also expressed disappointed at the quality of window frames, door frames used in the housing units and wondered why the water pipes were left protruding from outside.
The contractor was not even on site to answer to some of the concerns raise as even the plastering of the walls was amateurish.
“This is not right it’s shocking where is the building inspector because there’s no excuse to allow this kind of work, there should be a good motivation why this contract can’t be terminated because the contractor has no value for money, the celling board is falling apart,” a visibility disappointed Mulusa said.
The construction of the medium cost housing started at the same time with the high cost which were being built by another foreign contractor had been completed and was only awaiting electrification and water installation.
He called on the local contractors to do the level best when they are given such projects unlike the current works being exhibited in Choma.
“ This kind of workmanship defeats the whole purpose of empowering Zambians, the low cost housing being done by a foreigner are far much better than the medium houses,”he said.
Provincial Planner Linda Siwale said government was update with the payment and wondered why the contractor was not completing.
“There is no pending payment for all the houses being constructed here all the payments and certificates were to update, “he said.
Mr Mulusa also toured the high and low cost housing units and also checked the works on the government offices and the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation offices.
Earlier before the tour Southern Province Permanent Secretary Sibanze Simuchoba said the delay to complete the government offices and the housing units was a huge cost because the officers were always travelling to Livingstone.
Thats already poor planning, if you had put measures in place, you would not be talking about such now. Chimbwi no plan at its highest mark
This shows that no one checks these projects. Lucky don’t pretend. its a failure from your side. You should have milestones checked? even materials before using them should be checked.
The Man is dead corrupt and now wants to show that he is disappointed? Lungu is a fo.ol to have brought all these MMD demagogues in to PF.
Instead of reviewing the whole tender process…but he would never do that as they all eat from there!!
Firstly
This job of Mulusa,is this not duplicity?Surely there must be pipo paid for this job at Buildings Department,RDA and such other places.How feasible is his task?You mean he will be going round the whole country[obviously at great expence]to do other pipo s jobs
Secondly
And as Pondani has stated where were the Authorities that they let houses reach this level that is when they start talking about plastering
Lastly
Why has the contractor s name been withheld.In Mwanawasa s time we knew who the bad contracors were as he never withheld their identity for example Katotobwe of Tomorrow Investments was publicly castigated by Mwanawasa himself and blacklisted.Today the same Tomorrow Investments is back under Edgar s watch and even have government contracts.
Iwe Mulusa, can you talk about the Solwezi- Chingola road. We have very pathetic contractors on this project. It is sad to see the number of vehicle breakdowns on this road. Each day that passes PF is losing votes because of the status of the road.
How can a monitoring and evaluation person be a final decision maker? His job is to observe and report to his boss, the president who will take RDA chairman to task.
How was this contractor awarded the contract in the first place!!
Ba Mulusa,please find a better way to do your job. Try even to imitate the office of the Auditor General who publish their findings and at least achieve certain officials being summoned to parliament to explain why abnormalities occurred. If your job is to advise the President,then could you spare us this publicity stunt and advise him quietly because the only thing you are doing now is exposing your government and party on how corrupt you are!! With all the observations you have made since your appointment we have heard of NO disciplinary measures taken against erring official or contractors- which confirms something,CORRUPTION within your ranks!! when you are complaining check what the official said-”Provincial Planner Linda Siwale said government was update with the payment and…
…continued …Provincial Planner Linda Siwale said government was update with the payment and wondered why the contractor was not completing”. Meaning these substandard works have already been paid for in full and the criminal has laughed all the way to bank and you are just doing cover up! Sorry we are fed up with this noise!
The first people to blame are the operatives tasked with supervising these projects. Where was that Linda & the PBE?
Then there’s the issue of specs in the contract.
But of course knowing the way we do things in this country, the finger pointing is cyclic.
What is the governance structure? Who is suppose to do what? There is duplicity of checks here and in itself that is costly. Heads should roll if government officers failed to execute their functions properly.
This must be a contractor connected to the PF…. I can bet my last Kwacha you won’t hear anything more about this particular project, even after this outburst by Mulusa!
The supervisors Linda and others are proper UPND supporters and they don’t want to see PF being praised in Southern province.We hear this is the same woman who does not want to see people from other provinces to prosper.She fought hard to have Kapenda who was hard working transferred to Western as Principal Planner cos he is from luapula.Come and interview him here in Mongu where he is now.