MINISTER of Foreign Affairs Harry Kalaba says the construction of the 87km Mongu-Kalabo road will enhance plans for the establishment of an oil pipeline between Zambia and Angola and promote trade between the two countries.
Speaking shortly after inspecting Mongu-Kalabo road on Saturday, Mr Kalaba (below) said the project will help to improve trade and bilateral relations with Angola.
“This road is going all the way up to Sikongo border, meaning that we are opening up Angola and Zambia and we will have a lot of traffic. The market in Zambia is yawning, the market in Angola is yawning, and so this road interlinking the two countries is significant,” Mr Kalaba said.
The minister, who was in Mongu to officiate at the Youth Day commemoration, said the Patriotic Front (PF) administration is determined to improve infrastructure such as roads to enable youths participate in trade and economic development.
Western Province permanent secretary Mwangala Liomba appealed to the people of Western Province to take advantage of Mongu-Kalabo road and to participate in trade both within the region and the entire country.
Mr Liomba said President Lungu will soon commission Mongu-Kalabo road.
Mongu mayor Bright Tombi called on the people of Western Province to appreciate Government’s infrastructure development projects such as construction of the road, which has helped to mitigate the suffering of the people.
“I get surprised when I hear people saying we can’t eat roads; have they forgotten how they used to suffer when travelling to Kalabo on water?” Mr Tombi said.
This project was started by Mwanawasa……………..
No it was actually started by the Chiluba regime… specifically by the then deputy minister of finance Godfrey Simasiku who later became Zambia’s ambassador to Japan.
Long time coming… anyway better late than never.
Now the maintenance costs are perhaps more crucial than the construction costs.
And Mwanawasa completed it right?? This is total rubbish. Whats important is we now have some world class road to the border with Angola. Can we for once stop this pettiness.
DID HE FINISH IT? HE COULD HAVE STARTED IT BUT ALL FOR A VOTE. PF ARE IMPLEMENTING PROJECTS FOR ZAMBIA TO DEVELOP AND ARE NOT CHOOSING TO IMPLEMENT THEM NEAR OR DURING ELECTION TIME. HOW MANY YEARS DID MMD WORK ON THE SAME ROAD GOOD FOR NOTHING SMALL PIECE THEY DID FOR ELECTIONS? PF HALTED IS BECAUSE IT WAS WRONGLY DONE AND RESTARTED IT WITH A BETTER DESIGN. SO, IT’S ABOUT NOT ONLY IMPLEMENTATION OF PLANS BUT PROPERLY IMPLEMENTING PROJECTS.
Look, the architecture/civil engineer gets the credit for a masterpiece and not the guy who pushed the wheelbarrow of concrete. Mwanawasa started it and credit goes to him. Anyone can implement an idea but visionaries conceive great ideas and you cant take away anything from Mwanawasa for the vision and political will that contributed to the Mongu-Kalabo road to become a reality
Iyee! at 80% completion stage I can still see the soil under the pavement layer? The workmanship must really be TERRIBLE… Unless my eyes are letting me down. Folks, do you see what I see in the this pic?
This is RB and Musokotwane’s Project. PF has nothing to do with this project. If anything PF condemned it for it’s cost when it was announced in 2010. Mukanga even attempted to have it stopped in October 2011 upon becoming Minister.
Wanu ngwee if what I am seeing is right this is the best constructed road in Zed. I can see a concrete pavement and is it running throughout the distance? Usually Zambian contractors leave the edge of the road bare and it soon starts wearing off and the road becomes narrower as it rains. These guys look like they have done a professional job.
Good development there. Let’s just give credit where it is due
Credit is due to RB and Musokotwane.
Supplier lies will not get you anywhere. The road mwanawasa tried to build using the Kuwait was washed away even before he died. Construction of this road using the Chinese started when PF came into power. yes it had been on the cards under RB but physical construction started after PF came into power.
That’s the correct position my brother. I come from there and what you have said is what the case is: Data actually wanted it to pass it through Kalongola in 2011, but he was advised to proceed with current route despite it costing 1.2 trillion old currency. Its the current administration.
Don’t be stupid. PF has nothing to do with this road. You are the same i.d.iots that condemned RB and Musokotwane in 2010 when they sourced $270 million from the Chinese to construct this road. PF called it a waste of money. F.oo.ls like you said there was NOTHING economic in that region. True to form Mukanga even stopped the construction in October 2011 upon becoming Minister of Transport. He called the project a ‘Political project’ (whatever he meant). The Project was saved by the Chinese who told the PF government that the loan for the project was ‘tied’ together with the contractors of the project. Be it the Senanga-Sesheke road or Mongu-Kalabo these roads have nothing to do with Sata or Lungu. They are RB’s MMD.
I JUST HOPE THAT THIS ROAD WILL NOT BE LEFT UNMARKED. THIS IS BECAUSE I SEE MANY ROADS WHICH HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED BUT NOT MARKED AND THAT ROAD IS EVEN COMMISSIONED. RDA, WHAT’S YOUR PROBLEM?
A project that has overshot over budget by x amount…i hear the Angolans havent done anything on their side.
*Sata not Data…..sorry!
“I get surprised when I hear people saying we can’t eat roads; have they forgotten how they used to suffer when travelling to Kalabo on water?” Mr Tombi said. No country can develop without proper infrastructure. If other parties are saying they will reduce the price of mealie meal at the expense of infrastructure development then they are practising what Prof Lumumba calls voodoo economics.
Kudos to PF on this one. If they do the Jimbe one it will be nother jewel in their crown. How I wish PF cadres were not negativing such gigantic achievements which previous regimes could only politick about. I tend to think twice about wanting to see PF continue in govt each time I see their cadres running amok regardless of such infrastructure milestones. Pliz Mr ECL tether your cadres or risk seeing HH commission these projects.
RB and Musokotwane built this road.
Yes you can say that it was started by MMD but they actually failed because they could not commit the required resources for such a difficult road. Only PF was bold enough to do a proper job.
whether started by Rb or m’kotwane is of no cosequence because any pf or other govt would have abandoned the project if they were to wish. that they have commited resources to see it through is enough for them to claim every credit due. this is one if not the most xpensive project this country has ever had and at most it should just be enough to acredit yourself as a Zambian
That road was started in the UNIP era ,then FTJ tried it , then Mwanawasa , RB , Sata and now Lungu. Let the completion be done!. We used to get stuck so many times even on 4×4 vehicles in the dry season. Note also , that almost all roads in this country were built by KK though in gravel , and UBZ used to service those routes , but because of economic problems , maintenance was not done . There is also a road that connects Sesheke and Kaoma via Mulobezi & Sichili , it is an active road and that’s where timber you find at Buseko market comes from. Its sand all-over and trucks get stuck , its in a wilderness , the most remote you can ever think of. UBZ used to service that route also , upto Mongu because by then there never used to be too many pontoons across the Zambezi . When Sata came…
DA Project Management Limited Zambia looking forward to : Invest – Develop – Manage
SHARE BLOCK FARMS in Western zambia. Contact Andre at : [email protected]
Thank You For The Road .