MONGU Central Member of Parliament Nathaniel Mubukwanu has described the completion of the Mongu/Kalabo road as a huge achievement for the Patriotic Front (PF).
Mr Mubukwanu who is also Southern Province Minister said the Mongu/Kalabo road was one of the difficult projects that the PF government had undertaken and the news of completion has brought excitement to the people of Mongu .
He said previous governments tried to work on the project but did not yield any positive results as they had failed but the PF government has delivered.
“That is good news, this has exonerated the commitment of the PF government and this will go down in history as one of the most difficult projects,” he said.
He said since the project has now been completed they would soon look at the long term project of connecting the road to border so that Zambia could easily trade with Angola.
He has since appealed to the RDA to immediately work on putting up the toll gates on the new constructed road so that it could easily generate income.
“We need this concept of toll gates on this road so that it would be able to generate income for road incase of any maintenance works,” he said.
This Mongu-Kalabo road project was about 34 Kilometres stretch with 26 bridges was done by Avic International, at a cost of about US $286.9 million dollars.
Before the construction of the road Kalabo residents traveling to Mongu were using canoes and spent long hours on the water.
On Thursday RDA Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs Loyce Saili announced the successful completion of the project.
“Big achievement for PF” or is it for Zambia? PF should not steal the glory that belongs to multiple governments in broad day light.
How much was the loan ? Who’s going to pay it off ? The next generation coming up will suffer because of dedit .
Never mind Zambians think only of today not tomorrow.
As if it was built using PFs money. I can assure PF that this will translate into 0 votes in Western Province. As things stand people have already made up their minds. The rest of the undecided voters cannot swing the election into PFs favour. Its bye bye PF.
Malabishi… this PF wasn’t commissioned by the PF govt, rather by the MMD govt. They want to claim credit but refuse to give credit to a govt that deserves it. Talk about harvesting produce where you didn’t sow.
I appreciating the intended ‘toll’ but you are talking about taxing people who are living in total poverty, struggling to even put food on their dish. You tax them, the motorists will just pass on the charge to the poor travelers by hiking transport fares. In the end you will have a road to nowhere not used by the people who really need to use it. Hope they really think through this and only collect the toll from commercial trucks transporting commercial goods and not public transport and small scale business goods. And the so called tolls money collected will just…
…continued
And the so called tolls money collected will just be abused and misused.
For the record the people used small engine powered boats in the rain season and 4-wheel land rovers during the dry season (yes canoes too but to a small extend).
Of course, this is a big achievement for the PF government and the Zambian people, including you. So learn to be thankful and give credit where it is due.
Meimatungu,
Of course there were other governments before PF who conceived the idea of constructing the Mongu-Kalabo Road, but the bottom line is that they never implemented it. It is the PF government which has managed to do this. To use a soccer analogy, the player who puts the ball in the net is the one who gets the credit for scoring and not the one who passed the ball to him. Even if you loathe the PF government, be gracious enough to give credit where it is due.
“He has since appealed to the RDA to immediately work on putting up the toll gates on the new constructed road so that it could easily generate income.”
DID RDA REALLY HAVE TO WAIT FOR IT’S COMPLETION IN ORDER TO CONSTRUCT A TOLL GATE? ONE DOES NOT NEED TO BE A PROJECT MANAGER TO KNOW THAT THE CONSTRUCTION OF A TOLL GATE ON THIS ROAD WOULD HAVE COMMENCED IMMEDIATELY HALF WAY FINISHING THE ROAD SO THAT IT IS COMPLETED WITH THE ROAD AND START MAKING MONEY. EVEN A F00L WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT. THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AFRICANS AND WHITE PEOPLE. EVEN A F00L WOULD HAVE STARTED STARTED CONSTRUCTING THE TOLL GATE.
NOW, BA LT GIVE A FULL REPORT IN PICTURES USING A PROPER CAMERA. PHOTOGRAPH SOME PARTS OF THE ROAD INCLUDING SOME OR ALL THE BRIDGES TO START MARKETING THAT BRIDGE IN RELATION TO TOURISM AND OTHER ECONOMIC VENTURE IN THE AREA. NO ONE IS GOING TO DO THE MARKETING FOR ZAMBIA BUT THE ZAMBIAN MEDIA. RDA ALSO JUMP AROUND AND CONTRACT A VERY GOOD DESIGNER AND CONSTRUCTOR OF THE STATE-OF-THE-ART TOLL GATE WHICH SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE AN OFF-THE-MAIN ROAD MINI BUT POSH SHOPPING CENTRE ACCESSED BY AN ACCESS ROAD/SLIP ROAD OFF THE MOTOR WAY.
@1.7 Maikalange
Some previous government conceived of the idea, sourced the funds, engaged a contractor; PF came along to cut the ribbon and for cutting the ribbon, PF and not the previous government, is the one now to received the accolades? Andy wonder we are still so under-developed!
WELL DONE PF FOR MAKING SURE THAT THAT ROAD HAS SUCCESSFULLY BEEN COMPLETED. NOW, THE ECONOMIC FLOOD GATE HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY OPENED TO WESTERN PROVINCE AND THE NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES ON THAT FRONTIER. CONGRATULATIONS ECL, PF AND THE PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA. LUNGU NAFUTI, NAFUTI NOW TO CONNECT ANGOLA TO ZAMBIA.
its not Mongu Kalabo road its Mongu Tapo road, the road from Tapo to Kalabo is pathetic
The case of football: No matter how the goalkeeper saves, no matter how defenders defends and midfield feeds the strikers, credit goes to the skippers who scores. Probably the soccer fans are too dull to understand the system.
A case of a surgeon performing a successful operation and the nurse getting all the credit for giving post surgery recovery care! When will successive governments ever give recognition to predecessor’s efforts? Apart from contracting loans, elevated violence and, mass job losses what can be alluded to have been generated by the PF government in their short life? Everything be it schools through clinics including mobile ones, universities being completed PF is jumping on self praise of having achieved all these!
Toll gates make the project revenue positive and the loan will be paid off from proceeds. Some ignoramus was already shouting debt, etc! How pathetic!! By the way toll roads was one of the ideas we brought forward here.
We will retire HH for good … once and for all after entering him in The Guinness Book of World Records as the first Zambian to have lost the presidency 5 times in a row!! The media does not run this country, the Diplomats don’t run this country, the Elites don’t run this country … We, the people do!!!
I endorse ECL as the next CEO & President of the smart people of the most beautiful country God gave man on the continent of Africa! I am B R Mumba, Sr … and I approved this message.
It has taken 50 years for so many government and presidents to ignore this strategic road project and once PF does it, kaponyas do not want to give credit where it belongs to. Bigots of 1st order.
Glory belongs to the achievers not dreamers, not those who end at planning on paper
JEALOUS DOWN GUYS. ALL THE GOVERNMENTS FAILED TO BUILD THIS ROAD INCLUDING UNIP. THE ROAD THAT MMD STARTED WAS SIMPLY WASHED AWAY BY RAINS. THIS WAS BECAUSE IT WAS STARTED DURING THE ELECTION PERIOD FOR THE SAKE OF WINNING THE ELECTIONS. PF ADOPTED IT AND INVESTED A LOT OF STATE MONEY INTO THIS SHORT-DISTANCE BUT DIFFICULT ROAD TO BUILD, WITH A PROPER CONTRACT. SO, HATS OFF TO PF. LUNGU NAFUTI, NAFUTI.
Ba UPND hold tight , more bad news for you on the way. Come June Mamba Power Project will be completed and ZESCO has already started upgrading the transmission line .
For your own information, Kariba Dama is generating 350 megawatts and Mamba will produce 650 mega watts. I leave you to do the impact assessment on load shedding
ViVA PF and Viva ECL
Started by Levy and launched by RB
RB flags off K1.2trn Mongu -Kalabo Road works October 18, 2010
President Rupiah Banda yesterday flagged off the outstanding construction works on the K1.25 trillion Mongu-Tapo-Kalabo Road and underscored Government’s commitment to reducing poverty in the country through infrastructure development. Speaking in Kalabo yesterday, President Banda said his aim was to work hard to ensure that poverty was reduced in all parts of the country as soon as possible. President Banda told the crowd of people that attended the groundbreaking ceremony at Tapo, 34 kilometres from Mongu, that the financing of the road would be done through a concessional loan from China
@Chanda: Is development meant to show-off to the opposition or it is meant to benefit Zambians? Most of us voted for PF to develop the country not to compete with the opposition. It’s like you think Govt is doing us a favor to build roads and provide electricity when in actual fact it is their full responsibility to do so.
Kambwali,
Of course there were other governments before PF who conceived the idea of constructing the Mongu-Kalabo Road, but the bottom line is that they never implemented it. It is the PF government which has managed to do this. To use a soccer analogy, the player who puts the ball in the net is the one who gets the credit for scoring and not the one who passed the ball to him. Even if you loathe the PF government, be gracious enough to give credit where it is due.
Kambawali, the real initiator of Mongu Kalabo road was unsung hero of Western province, Mr. Simasiku of MMD who lost elections and was posted as ambassador of Zambia to Japan by the late President Mwanawasa.
They can even pay us K100,000,000.00 each, we will never vote the PF riff ruffs this year.
Yah you will never do so since you are UPND a minority. Success ins actually doing something not just planning, dreaming and talking about something. Accomplishment is doing not just wishing and dreaming like HH dreams to be president of Zed. Its actually doing it , like the PF government has done on the Kalabo road. Remember the option of failure was always there.
If it was by sheer dreaming and wishing only, UPND would have succeeded in being a ruling party, but alas it depends on deeds not cheap talk and dreaming
Great job to all those involved in this milestone. Let the commerce begin.
this is quite an impressive engineering project check it out on google earth……and no im not a supporter of pf but i am an architect
It maybe an impressive engineering project – BUT HAS ANYONE GIVEN IT THOUGHT that it has been constructed DURING ONE OF THE LONGEST DROUGHTS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA – once that drought cycle breaks, the 34km of road & 26 bridges & cost of US$ 286.9M BUILT IN A RIVER PLAIN AT ALMOST IT’S WIDEST, will all look like kids play – canoes will be back in use! It’s not like I don’t want my western country men not to have access – it is only that this project was heavily politically driven, rather than logical engineering reason applied. Consider, the Luapula road that bypasses the pedicle, yes it is long but expedient, avoids all trauma by Congolese. Similiarly, a site north or south of the plain could have been chosen for a bridge or two, but guaranteeing non-washing away of the road & bridges…
Agreed on the feat of Engineering and all … I am concerned that No one is talking about the fact that
1. this is the most expensive road ever done in Zambia with minimal economic benefit… and this I am not blaming the PF since it was started by MMD
2. Actually for all you saying the PF started construction of the road you are well mistaken .. this road was started in the MMD government and not just the planning but actual construction. Contractors were changed and some stretches demolished and reconstructed.
The level of Journalism and reporting in Zambia is appalling you need to include some solid background to some of these stories instead of fanning speculation
Let PF boast about a project that they, themselves conceived and brought to fruition. What about the “MORE MONEY IN YOUR POCKETS IN 90 DAYS”? How did that one go?
How about “KING LEWANIKA UNIVERSITY? How is that one coming?
I remember PF’s ‘GROUND BREAKING CEREMONY FOR A STADIUM IN MONGU.” How is that one coming up?
The secession activists blocked that project with the help of HH and the Post Newspaper
Little is being heard about the ROADS PROJECT. Has the money run out or is the PF government still up to speed on that one?
Am in Singapore right now and can safely say that the PF government and President Lungu will be voted back into power because every development comes with good road infrastructure.
Send and spread the good news to all Zambians local and abroad.
People of western province this good development for you as promised. vote for ECL & pf
Let credit be given to whom credit is due. PF are FLY BY NIGHT HEROES, least deserving of the crown here. Had they been the ones at the helm of power during the whole duration of the monstrous construction of the Mongu-Kalabo road bridge, itself a great conquest of the Mighty Barotse Flood Plain, they long would have chewed-up the money. Where is the Euro-Bond Money??
You are truly a patyhetic sod Meimatungu or whatever you call yourself here!
@Kasuusu
The completion of the Mongu-Kalabo road is a coat of exotic luster, too good for the PF to wear. It does not belong to their wardrobe.
@Kasuusu
I know it hurts. I sympathize. It’s election year. However, if you should see me driving a Ferrari 250 GTO, you will know right away that it’s a borrowed car. I don’t own it.
@Kasuusu
You should be able to tell that I am not the insulting type. I am not a PF cadre. The fact of the matter is that PF have been too good at making promises, too bad at keeping them. Or did they just promise one too many? That is their legacy; the one they are leaving behind, even now as they head into the next parliamentary and presidential elections. Except as it should be that they are planning to massively rig the next election, such a legacy is rather troublesome. It’s political impotency to make empty promises.
The Mongu-Kalabo road was not one of PF’s promises, its completion not one of their achievements. Let them learn to eat a humble pie, if that happens to be what is on the menu.
LONG LEAVE ECL VIVA PF
You said it, LONG LEAVE TO ECL FOR ETERNITY
Wow! truly this is a master piece artwork. weldone PF and ECL. PF nafuti nafuti!
Ba Koswe imwe u can’t even appreciate where good things are happening. The fact remains that PF has completed the project. Let’s give crdit where its due thus why Zambians thinking Capacity is vey low. If You are UPND or whatever may you start thinking logically and give our nation a break so we can develop. Sometimes I wonder these comments whether mulatontonkanya pa ku poster olo u are paid to shoot down any good ides on LT
In fact these other just did the ground breaking, the whole was ans is done by mighty PF. mind you this project started in 2011. Kudo to PF and the team.
If the drop that I am seeing on the bridge/ road is real and not my illusion then that is bad engineering! You can not have that sudden drop in the road. In my opinion the drop should have been gradual. Overall congratulations to Zambia!
Guys you pathetic UPND losers ala sometimes you must give credit where it is due ebwaume. We have to thank the mighty PF for their gallant display of determination to develop the country.
it’s not a pf achievement you chap..atase..its a Zambian govt achievement..fyabupuba
Indeed its a national achievement which came to friutation under the PF govt.
I can also see that the mid section of the bridge is sagging, I hope this is by design which is also bad engineering design. I hope the foundations are resting/ keyed on competent formation otherwise with big trucks ploughing the road, the integrity of the river-crossing structures will be doubly compromised.
Wait a minute ba PF. When did infrastructure development become a benchmark for economic performance. The economic indicators i know are as follows :1. Economic growth 2. Unemployment 3. Inflation 4. Exchange rates. What has PF done on the above listed,zero out of hundred. This is why some us find it difficult to vote for PF.
Levy Mwanawasa stadium, Heroes stadium,mongu kalabo road done by the serious govt voted out.PF mongu stadium maramba stadium chingola slowezi dual carriage uncompleted.Loicy Saili yesterday sais the mongu kalabo started in august 2011 has been completed PF September 2011.
The devil worshipers on this forum are not happy of this good news about our lovely country – Zambia. Their hard heart leader hardly smiles and I would not be surprised if he is angry with this good news. According to the cartel newspaper (Post), the kwacha is gaining strength against major currencies. Load shedding is on the decline and mealie meal supplies on the increase. HH treats women and girls as second-class citizens, that’s why his party would rather have a man without basic education(GBM) as its vice President.
$286 millions is not an easy project with the national budget of about $7,600 million. Think beyond what you see. This is real committment. Some of you will only vote for a party that promises you jobs and handouts!
Good news all the way to 11th August, 2016 when HH will be officially and politically buried.
jealous down this is a huge great success and an extreme engineering, hands up to the AVIC contractors and the people of zambia as this is our project for all Zambians regardless of your political party..perfect road
Congrats PF , this one I have seen with my eyes. Next project completion please!
Chief Chewe, just like me, you’re a typical Engineering Institute of Zambia or EIZ member: full of critism but empty of practicalities. You’re quick at vernomous critism without showing us your bridge which answers your design, mambala iwe. Lekeni aba Lozi bendeko bwino nabo, nindalama Zanyoko!! For your own info, EIZ has engaged those very Chonchos you’re criticising to construct EIZ complex, instead of you our egoistic expert, na toothpick ya maka tamulapangapo.
Chamibaba ba UPND as while you yap daily,PF is busy delivering!!IF YOU THINK SUCH HUGE PROJECTS LIKE MONGU-KALABO ROAD,MUFULIRA-CHEMBE RD,MANSA-LUWINGU ROAD OR LET ME SIMPLY SAY LINK-ZAMBIA 2000,L400,ETC WONT WIN PF VOTES,THEN YOU DESERVE TO BE CALLED UNDER 5 POLITICIANS BECAUSE MAJORITY VOTERS VOTE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND NOT TRIBE!!THE SPLENDID WORKS PF HAVE DONE ACROSS ZAMBIA SINCE 2011 WILL ATTRACT A LOT OF VOTES TO PF ON 11/08/2016!!SEEING IS BELIEVING,SO AS THE OPPOSITION WILL BE BUSY MAKING FAKE PROMISES,PF WILL JUST BE POINTING AT THEIR PROJECTS DURING CAMPAIGNS!!GBM has predicted today in a widely read ZAMBIA DAILY NATION newspaper that Edgar Lungu will win 2016 general elections if the opposition wont form serious alliances!!!NOW WHO WILL BE IN AN ALLIANCE WITH HH WHEN ALL WELL…
Who will be in an alliance with hh when all well known opposition parties (e.g.mmd,fdd,rainbow,narep) have rejected hh?MIGHTY PF HAVE ALREADY WON 2016 ELECTIONS!!GO PF GO!!
@chalo Nkhanza: I am not against a bridge to western province. All of us Zambians will use the bridge its not only for the loss as you put it. I am critiquing the bridge construction. If you cannot see the drop and the upside down cambering/ sagg in the picture then you are not a member of EIZ. These are the kind of shoddy constructed structures which endanger lives of people and drain the treasury because 5 years down the line maintenance shoots through the roof. Regarding tooth picks, if you have a business justification to go into tooth pick business start one and employ engineers. Engineers are not into the business of making stuff just for sake of it.
“Lozi”
Thank you pf for completing this huge project
1 KINGS 3 vs. 5 the lord appeared to him {Solomon (Lungu)} in the dream and asked him; what would you like me to give you? Vs 9 give me wisdom to rule your pipo (Zambians). The lord was pleased that Solomon ( Lungu)had not asked for riches (like HH and GBM) I will do what you have asked for I will give you what you have asked for. Chapter 5 Solomon (Lungu) prepares to build the Temple. Come August 11 Solomon (Lungu) as indicated in chapter 6 is coming to build the Temple. Solomon’s enemy starts with HA (1 Kings 11:14-16) and lungu’s enemy starts with HA. Will the Edomites (UPND) and their leader win?
Someone audit the health professional council of zambia. This arm of government has been increasing fees for no relavant reasons, at the same times failing to provide licences to applicants.
Its a good development in that part of Zambia and it will easy the burden of travelling public. The journey used to be a huge challenge. What next? I hope which ever party is going to form next govt should make the Solwezi-Chingola road a priority project. I felt bad at the news that this time around bandits from Congo DR have gathered enough courage to cross our border and attack our security officers and get away with fire arms and ammunition. This is food for thought for the Home Affairs Minister and his Police High Command. Its really bad a situation because where does that leave a civilian if these kabokes can have th courage to attack a police post. There is need to beef up security especially that we are in an election year coupled with rampt smuggling of meali meal and maize to…
But, who funded this project – was it PF?
And, who constructed it -wasn’t it the Chinese?
Who started it – Mwanawasa?
Who recommissioned it – RB?
You can sing completion completion we will never vote for you instead we will thank you out via the ballot.We deserved this from inception.
We now need a sober leader to maintain the road
Meimatungu,
Of course there were other governments before PF who conceived the idea of constructing the Mongu-Kalabo Road, but the bottom line is that they never implemented it. It is the PF government which has managed to do this. To use a soccer analogy, the player who puts the ball in the net is the one who gets the credit for scoring and not the one who passed the ball to him. Even if you loathe the PF government, be gracious enough to give credit where it is due.
@38 Maikalange
You must be very well-informed, my friend, better than the rest of us. Your PF, at least from your point of view, is not a paper tiger. Congrats.
Hopefully, “One Zambia One Nation” mantra will now be embraced by every region.
Well done, Ba Sata, Ba Lungu and PF!
Bitterness will kill you.learn to appreciate ba mambala.its. Like you just want your own in state house.whats wrong with you guys.in short you are saying what ever Lungu has started good or bad will have to be stopped? That is by accident you won elections,GOD FORBID.please appreciate for once,dont be this bitter!!!!!!!
Pictures ba lipota pictures . Have you been there or are you just copying press releases and passing them on to us?
WELDONE PF. NEVER MIND THE UNGRATEFUL SOULS. 11 AUGUST, ITS ECL AND PF AGAIN AND AGAIN.
Avic International wins Zambian contract for mongu-kalabo rd but they chose to go build their huge Africa headquarters in Nairobi,Kenya.
A bigger achievement by PF would have been to have that huge Avic investment and jobs land in Zambia rather than Kenya
Real credit should go to Lozi politicians in MMD, specifically Ambassador Simasiku who championed this road and got the initial project off the ground, and Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane who funded and contracted it. PF stooges, Mubukwanu and Inonge Wina, were advised not to lose the money to Muchinga and Bembaland projects in 2011 when PF took over power. Thankfully it was too late with Avic already on the ground for the evil Sata to cancel the project.
The reason why a grade 12 requirement for MP was introduced is to make sure we have people who can articulate issues as well as have some reasonable memory. The length for some development projects do not necessarily coincide with the length of political office. We can safely say that the PF has done what it should do to complete projects left by the previous Govt. MMD. There are a number of projects started by the previous Govt of MMD that the Govt of the PF has completed though some where delayed by the PF themselves. Examples include the Lunzua hydro power, Mbala – Nakonde road, Mamba coal power statation etc. these projects among others were started by the MMD, including the Mongu Kalabo road. Am not sure when the Mongu-Kalabo road was scheduled to be completed by MMD but am sure…
Well done PF ! I assure you of my vote and from all my family members.Do not be distracted with tribal party bloggers who complain of loans as if they will use HH ‘s animals to develop the country.Even countries in Europe,Asia etc are accessing loans to develop…..what about African countries which are still developing ?
Am not PF but muletasha.It has taken years to do this road. The problem with some o you is that you are used to driving on bad roads and you thinks it’s normal. Especially people from Lusaka. Us who grew up on the copper belt never stayed in areas with no tarmac. You find that Lusaka people are so used to bad roads,no drainage and the like. People with masters degrees living in very pathetic places. That’s why you can’t appreciate these roads.Grow up!
HH won’t win the elections because of the tribalism of his supporters
YOU TRIBALISTS LESA TATEMWA WHY ARE YOU SO BITTER??THIS IS WHY YOU WILL NEVER RULE THIS COUNTRY, ALL YOU DO IS DISPLAYING YOUR BITTERNESS FOR ONCE WHY CANT YOU GIVE CREDIT WHERE ITS DUE???PF COULD HAVE ABANDONED THIS PROJECT LIKE OTHER GVT DID IN THE PAST.VOTES OR NO VOTES YOU SHOULD KNOW DEEP DOWN HOW YOU HATE OTHER TRIBES.wHY FROM THE BEGGING YOU NEVR HAD CHANCE TO GOVRN ZAMBIA??? HATRED LESA TATEMWA CHANGE FOR THE BETTER.TULAMITINA UKUMI VOTELA BECAUSE YOU ARE SO BITTER AND FRUSTRATED AND EVERY ONE IS SCARED OF YOU.