NGANDU Villagers of Chief Mukuni in Southern Province have appealed to
the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) and contractors working on various
projects in the area to recruit local people to reduce unemployment
levels in the area.
ZRA is planning to construct a dam for the 2, 400 Megawatts (MW)
Batoka Hydro-Electric Scheme (HES) at Batoka Gorge on the downstream
of Victoria Falls along Zambezi River while contractors are currently
upgrading an access road passing through Ngandu Village to the Gorge.
Ngandu Village Headman Peter Sitali said there is need for ZRA and
contractors working on various projects in the area to employ local
people especially youths to mitigate unemployment levels.
Mr Sitali disclosed in an interview today in Ngandu Village
where local people were compensated for allowing some of their maize
fields to be destroyed to pave way for the construction of an access
road to Batoka Gorge.
“The villagers here are happy with the current developments taking
place in the area especially that we now have a better road.
“We are looking forward to the area being electrified but most
importantly we want job creation for most youths who are not doing
anything,” Mr Sitali said.
He noted that people whose fields were affected during the construction of
the access roads were paid according to the damage caused on the
field.
Other residents of Ngandu village namely Reymond Siamapepe and Peter
Kamwanga also urged ZRA and the contractors in the area to ensure that
locals benefited from the projects through employment creation.
“The road and the power station have made us happy as they are meant
to develop the rural communities here. We had problems before but we are
happy now. We hope more jobs canbe given especially during the construction
of the dam,” they said.
Currently, preparatory works are progressing well on the planned
construction of the power plants at Batoka Gorge.
ZRA has been mandated by the Governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe to
facilitate the implementation of the project, which was approved in
2012, in close consultations with ZESCO and Zimbabwe Power Company
(ZPC).
On Tuesday and Wednesday this week, a delegation of ZRA Board members
and journalists from Zambia and Zimbabwe visited the sites for the
proposed power plants in the two countries.
ZRA Chief Executive Munyaradzi Munodawafa said preparatory works were
progressing well from the time the project was approved in 2012.
“We have done almost 98 per cent of updating engineering
feasibility studies while the final report of the Environmental and
Social Impact Assessment will be released by the end of November
2016
“In December 2016, we will have a Council of Ministers meeting where a
fully-fledged feasibility study and other reports will be presented and
discussed,” he said.
He was hopeful that funding for the project would be mobilised
before 2018 after which procurement and tendering processes would
start in readiness for the construction which is expected to be
concluded by 2024.
Now they want jobs. Did they finally leave the bush in Namwala where they were hiding monga vinyahu. Scaring women and children.
But when it comes to voting they only know the Regionalist Party Upnd.
PF were snug.
PF were snubbed in spite of All the unprecedented development in their area and told to go to hell. This is the elephant in the room hh should be addressing other wise he will never be President of Zambia.
My advise to all would be employed in this project is that u should save watever little that u can whilest working so that u have a capital to start a business wen the contract in gone. We have a tendency as blacks to just work, get paid and spend without thinking of wat happens wen the job is over. Jobs should be considered as capital sources not wanuyayaya..! I suggest contractors offer financial literacy talks to their workers..! Its not possible for government to offer employment to all of us..! Lets change our mind set.
i thought Mukuni is rich why cant he share his spoils with this people.
He is very mean and very selfish. Just like one other chief in Solwezi.
let them tell HH to give them jobs.lol
people it’s one Zambia one nation, let us forget about elections and politics thing it’s over we should put it aside for the betterment of developing our mother Zambia, no one will take the development in our nation if we keep on talking about politics here. but am sure the people of southern province is a lesson to them let us support the current government.
tell that to hh and see what will will become of you.