Friday, March 29, 2024

Government gives out K130 million to settle debts with road contractors

Share

Part of the tared Chirundu-Lusaka road under construction by China Henan in Chirundu District
Part of the tared Chirundu-Lusaka road under construction by China Henan in Chirundu District

Government has assured all contractors that it will pay and settle all debts owed to them in the next two weeks.

Housing and Infrastructure Development Ronald Minister Chitotela made the assurance when he toured Chanida One Border Post over the weekend.

Mr Chitotela said his ministry has already given out K130 million from the K190 million the ministry received so that contractors complete the projects.

He said Government wants to build similar border posts at Mwami, Mokambo and Kipushi adding that contractors who would not move to sites to start works after being paid the money would do that at their own peril.

The minister also assured the people of Vubwi, Chadiza and Katete districts that Government would complete all uncompleted projects in the area.

Speaking when he joined a team led by Housing and Infrastructure Development Permanent Secretary Charles Mushota in Vubwi, the minister said his ministry would take full control of all projects after the transition period was over by December.

Meanwhile road contractors hired to construct roads have been asked to be honest and transparent after receiving money to complete the projects.

Mr Mushota said this when he met a team of contractors from China Jiangxi in Vubwi district.
Mr Mushota said Government would start publishing names of the companies that would receive money to complete the projects.

He said once the companies receive the monies, the work that they would do should be in conformity to their standard.

Mr Mushota warned that companies, which would start delaying completing the works would have only themselves to blame if Government takes serious action against them.

20 COMMENTS

  1. Good to hear. But I hope govt can remember shortening the Lsk-Zambezi route by paving opening an all weather road between Mumbwa and Yambezhi. Presently, a traveler to Zambezi (and Chavuma) takes a semi-circular journey through Solwezi, needlessly adding 400km to their trip and at a bloated cost. Zikomo.

  2. Actually the route to shorten the Zambezi trip is supposed to be Kaoma-Yambezhi (Mumbezhi), not Mumbwa-Yambezi. Nonetheless, Mumbwa-Kasemba road would also free the CB road of NW travelers, especially heavy trucks to and fro the mines.

    • @1&2 Chalo..If I recall well, Sata’s first address to parliament had included tarring the road from Koama to Kasempa and then also from Kaoma to Lukulu up to Zambezi. These routes are also expected to provide short cuts for imports and exports to NW Province and South Western parts of the “Katanga Province” (Kolwezi,Likasi,Tenke etc) of the DRC.Mining companies in both NW Zambia and DRC want these roads tarred to shortening their trading routes to the less congested port of Walvis Bay in Namibia. Indeed it will also shorten the distance for Nwesterners to Western and Lusaka. We hope resources could be found in future to address these needed developments!

  3. These ministries are confusing now RDA is under a house and infrastructure what about MINISTRY OF WORKS AND SUPPLY ,WHO IS THE MINISTER AND HIS PS , THIS MUSHOTA IS FROMER NCC DIRECTORS TO PS ah welldone PF TO ATLEAST APPOINT A tonga in a prominent position , this Shows we are really one zambia one nation

  4. I could be wrong here but, that road in the photo don’t look good to me, looks shoddy already and it’s like being done by a taka-taka type contractor who is in great hurry…

    Ba GRZ please remember that “cheap is always EXPENSIVE” in the long run. Give contracts to companies who know what they are doing. From the photos l see here, do you really think that the road in question can handle huge volumes of heavy traffic really? I think not, soon we shall start spending even more money on maintenance, please be serious.

    • Hey, I also thought the same. It does not look like a national road. Even the one going to Rupiah Banda’s farm is of far much better quality than the one in the picture. Are these roads just being done to score political points? Is that the quality the Chinese contractors can offer?

    • @4 Nkope.. I tend to concur with you! The BED or is it the BASE from the photo does NOT look well consolidated enough to support the movement of heavy traffic that this road has to support! This is a road that carries tariff to and from the DRC,Malawi,part of Tanzania and part Mozambique and Zambia. It is such a crucial one not only for Zambia but for SADC and COMESA and then we seem to be making jokes with it!! In fact reconstruction should involve straightening and leveling SOME of unnecessary corners and hills!

  5. Hope money won’t be misdirected into “people ‘s ” pockets. I loved KK. All those building outlandish mansions, driving ‘ifipaso ” would have to account for this “wealth ” failure to which they would forfeit the property and go to jail. Basically Zambia can do and achieve a lot but corruption is eating away every bit of progress.

  6. “The minister also assured the people of Vubwi, Chadiza and Katete districts that Government would complete all uncompleted projects in the area”. This is very interesting. You are talking about a project in Southern province and you also assuring the people of eastern province. WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO ASSURE THE people of North-Western Province that the Chingola-Solwezi Road will be completed…Oh! sorry I forgot. by the way, these “tribalists” didn’t vote for you. My biggest worry is that, the people of North Western province are running out of patience. I am not really sure if Adamson Mushala who managed to fight the Zambian army for 7 years also surrendered all the AK 47s he had. Or are they somewhere just waiting for Kaonde guy to have the courage to go crazy. This brothers and…

  7. Before channeling these resources , people should be credible enough by considering first and far most where these resource are being generated. Why talk about first developing vubwi,chadiza and katete when these district are actually contributing nothing. Northwestern is far much deserving because this is where the resources are coming from. Let not just politicize issues.

  8. Bwafyaa, you’re right to point out how linking NW and Western Zambia would improve access to the Walvis Bay trade Corridor. With the Mongu-Katima road already paved, the said link should complete the jig-saw puzzle. For now some NW Zambia bound truckers from Namibia who opt to use the new Mongu-Katima road, (and many are doing so in order to avoid the Kazungula potholes) are still compelled to take the longer route through Lsk and CB provinces. In my view, Sata should have built these links ahead of the Chiyawa road. Zikomo.

  9. You delay payments for almost one year and you want to send contractors back to site within a twinkle of an eye. Pay the contractors all you owe them and don’t delay future payments and then you will see substantial progress.

  10. Wow those roads look like they have been built by little kids. Low quality made with low quality materials while the money goes to the corrupt leaders. Useless.

  11. I hope these crooks will remember to pay retirees. How can a person wait for three years before getting his/her dues. Shame.

  12. Let the money now flow into people’s pockets. yaba pa street napa biipa mulandu wa no money in our pockets. someone needs to tell ama hule ati new year bala shana

  13. This is a good move so to say..I just hope solwezi roads are among the stated projects and this time around we really hope to see change on these roads please!

  14. Maybe this time around without Kambwili stealing money for road contracts might work a bit better. Kambwili and the Gomez Brothers in Ndola had business dealings. He supplied the contracts to them in exchange for half the money. This is why roads after the rainy season are washed away because the money all went into Kambwili estates in Luanshya and the one on the Ndola route to his wife in the UK opening up her own clinic to sending children to school all using tax payers money. The UK government can probe into these allegations because Kambwili’s wife on her salary cannot afford to own a clinic nor send the kids to school on her or Kambwilis salary. Someone needs to go to jail for money laundering!

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading