Chief Naluama of Mazabuka district has appealed to Government to bring to book a contractor who has abandoned the construction of a health centre after being paid by government to undertake the project.
The chief says the contractor has only put up a foundation and disappeared leaving behind building materials that are now going to waste.
He says all efforts to trace the contractor have proved futile and that abandoned building materials risky also being stolen.
Chief Naluama was speaking at his palace when southern province minister Edify Hamukale paid a courtesy call on him.
He said government decided to construct a health facility in the area to resolve the challenge of distance his subjects are facing in accessing health services.
Chief Naluama said the disappearance of the contractor has affected government’s positive response to the cries of his subjects on the need for a health facility.
The chief also told the minister to help the chiefdom resolve a standoff between the chiefdom and ZESCO who had promised to construct three dams in the area as part of corporate social responsibility since the Kafue gorge lower power station project is being constructed in his chiefdom.
He said ZESCO has reneged on various promises and agreements on the provision of some development infrastructure.
“I am so disappointed with ZESCO officials who have failed to honour the various agreements entered into with us. I am appealing to the provincial administration to intervene,” the said complained.
He said the power utility had also promised to electrify pubic institutions such as schools but nothing has been done.
“Each time we query them we don’t get any positive response yet we had agreed on a time frame for the construction of the dams and electrification of the public institutions.”
But southern province minister Edify Hamukale assured the tranditional leader that he will follow up the matter with relevant authorities.
He assured the chief that the Patriotic Front Government under the leadership of President Edgar Lungu remains committed to developing the whole country through the provision of support infrastructure that will being about socio economic development.
ZANIS/CM/Ends………………………….Dry
Let the chief first find out if really the contractor has been paid. Ni pa Zed apa aka
Chief Naluama please send your chola boy to Choma or Lusaka and find out if the govt paid this contractor…how do you expect a contractor to go to window level if the govt is not releasing funds because they are broke and diverting funds to useless issues. This is a govt that lamenetably failed to fund Chingola – Solwezi road…this is the artery that pumps more money in their budget.
CSR is not an obligation ..next time someone promises you such get lawyers to get them to sign documents ..50 years after independence these chiefs never learn anything from history.
Kikiki pf cadres masquerading as contractors. Bwafya
“He said ZESCO has reneged on various promises and agreements on the provision of some development infrastructure.”
I think he actually means LUNGU and his PF. Those are the people that allocate funding to ZESCO.
But then maybe all the borrowed kaloba has been spent on foreign trips and allowances and there is nothing remaining to pay the contractors.