THE Ndola City Council has with immediate effect stopped a Chinese investor from going ahead with the construction of a car wash in the buffer zone on the Ndola-Kitwe dual carriageway, mayor Amon Chisenga has revealed.
Mr. Chisenga said in an interview with the Daily Nation in Ndola that he will not entertain anarchy from investors who did not want to follow the laws of the land.
Mr. Chisenga said Mei Mei Group of Companies has diverted from the initial investment plan presented to the local authority, hence its current project and development was outside the proposed investment agreement.
He disclosed that the local authority sat with the Chinese investors from Mei Mei Limited group of companies on Monday and concluded that the structures be demolished.
He said it was unacceptable for investors, upon being awarded land, to divert from the initial projects presented to the local authority.
“We sat in a meeting with the said Chinese investor but what I want to put across is I shall not allow anarchy to take centre stage in the city.
The initial plans presented to the local authority was that the investor would put up a five-star hotel and other amenities but to our surprise when we visited the site with the district commissioner, the developer has diverted from the initial plans and is constructing a structure to be used as a car wash.
‘‘It is unacceptable because these are projects expected to be undertaken by the local residents, not an investor to engage in car wash business,” he said.
He urged investors in the district to abide by the laws of the land, emphasizing that this was not negotiable.
Mr. Chisenga stated that the investor, during the meeting, complained over the US $50,000 spent so far on the construction of the car wash. But the mayor insisted that it was the responsibility of the investor to seek audience with the local authority before undertaking any diversion from the initial plan presented.
And Mei Mei Company general manager King Maluka confirmed that the council had stopped the construction of the car wash and was awaiting for a formal letter.
Mr. Maluku maintained that the investor had not diverted from the proposed project to put up a hotel, shopping mall and housing units but the project was being done in phases.
“The economic downturn also hit us and this has had impact on our progress. It is a long term project that will take over 10 years to take shape .The wholesale structure is partially completed. We will construct the project indicated in our proposal to Government,” he said.
Mr. Maluku said the developer only came to learn that they had taken up land in the buffer zone after the Road Development Agency approached the company.
He maintained that the developer will comply with the directive from the local authority and construction has since stalled.
Mei Mei Chinese Company in 2015 acquired 13 hectares of land in Ndola next to Levy Mwanawasa Stadium on the Ndola-Kitwe carriage way where a US$75 million wholesale city complex was to be built.
The complex consists of wholesale city and storage, phase two housing units, phase three a five- star hotel, phase four a shopping mall and phase five amusement park.
You had to wait for the President to make a comment?
Mei Mei did PF bandits of visionless Edgar Donchi Kubeba dununa regret. Instead of building the so called mini~city by Mei Mei, after doing dununa Donchi Kubeba sickness on PF they have reversed into building a car wash for PF bandits. Blind Edgar’s is furious but hope Donchi & dununa backwardness is teaching PG bandits a lesson. Kudos to Mei Mei for giving PF bandits the bitter taste of Donchi Kubeba sickness on their drilled throats.
The Skeleton Key
~206~
And the out spoken copper belt minister why has he kept quite on the Chinese infestor, note not investor . We can’t have on the other side beautiful hotel where they are having meetings to support the 2021 third term and just when they walk out of the hotel is this Chinese building looking like the ministers thinking. Please we need expensive buildings around that area we have the money to invest in ndola but we don’t have money to tip the authority to give us land.
But the CB minister is the one who went to verify if the Chinese were doing what they offered to do. Why are you *****s in UPND make your brains so numb. And by the way, Lungu qualifies to stand in 2021 you moron. it is the law. Get on with it.
The is just being malicious. It was all over the place that Lusambo was not happy with the turn of things at the site.
This is how a council is supposed to function. No so called investor should be allowed to build anything that is not contained in the original or modified council approved plan. Well done Mr mayor and council thought you acted after Lungu toured the project site. Now clean up the city of the street vendors
I agree but don’t demolish the structure. Sell it to Zambian business
Good move Ndola! Besides, some of these small businesses should be left for locals. How can an investor come all the way from China to build a car wash here? What sort of investment is that? How many people will it employ and how much tax will it pay to our govt to warrant being given such a huge portion of land? This is the kind of stvpidity we must not allow in our country. Very good move Ndola!!
Please does Lusaka have a Mayor, Deputy Mayor or Councilors? In other cities they are working what are ours doing? Lusaka is filthy drains blocked garbage everyway…yes we didn’t get our own James to win but am sure he would have brought class to this dirty…the Deputy Mayor is more interested in removing a dustbin in Northmead and then? Smh
Why does the mayor need to seat with them? Governance is a problem in this country…in other countries the Lands Dept deals with this and a letter would have done with a deadline.
Ati ‘complained about the$50,000 already spent’ ,very dull GM. Nowonder he constructed a car wash instead of a car wash. That punk has no regard to policy. Can he even read?
This investment is to be done in phases, why stop the investor when he has just started
He has already spent $50 000 building what was not authorized. They are stopping him from building a car wash. Leave that to the Zambians. or they must show that they are in partnership with a Zambian who has 51% shares.
@8 Kubeja..they STOPPED these Chinese because right FROM THE START HE HAS TO ILLEGALITIES!! His $50,000 loss SHOULD BE THEIR’s TO STOMACH and is a PRICE FOR ILLEGALITY and LACK OF RESPECT FOR PROCEDURE!!
The local authority must be commended for this action. It is gratifying to see that there still a large number of Zambians who are defending our country. They are not selling it for three pieces of silver.
Does this mayor knows that Lungu nabena Kambwili balimyangamo umuu? the nigga will go faster than he came.
Ndola Mayor is doing a good job. We must only allow foreigners do things that Zambians cannot do! Car washes, butcheries, bakeries, petrol stations, hair salons, etc are examples that ONLY citizens MUST be doing!! Come to Bots and learn how they do things instead of letting your citizens eat dirt, they can have a piece of cake while alive and not in heaven after their death from poverty related causes!!
GOOD MOVE. LET HIM START WITH A FIVE STAR HOTEL TO SHOW HIS SERIOUSNESS AND LEAVE THE CAR WASH BUSSINESS TO THE LOCAL VENDORS.
That Mei Mei Project is a total mess. In there is a lot of fraud going on in that area in full view of the Very Corrupt Ndola City Council. Balilya indalama sha corruption, ba nkusa. Just go inside those shops at the same location.
Chinese are selling and are on all the tills. who gave all those Chinese the work permits. They are not directors for Gods sake. Those jobs are clearly reserved for Zambians. Ask the labour Dept. No answer. Bankusa baliba lisha. Shame in Zambia