FEASIBILITY studies for the construction of a fast freight railway line to connect Luapula and Northern Provinces to Lubumbashi in Congo DR will commence in September this year after signing a memorandum of understanding.
And Luapula Province Minister Nickson Chilangwa is elated at the railway project.
Luano Railway Development Project coordinator Wisdom Gondwe disclosed Thursday morning after his team made a presentation on the scope of the project to Mr. Chilangwa.
Luano is an acronym for Luapula and Northern Provinces.
Pastor Gondwe said feasibility studies were set to begin in September this year and would gobble over $2.5 Million.
He said he was positive his company would sign a memorandum of understanding with government especially that the project had the full support of the government through the office of the Vice President and line Ministries.
Pastor Gondwe said the project had fully been accepted by the office of the COMESA Secretary General, the Council of Ministers of the Great Lakes Region, SADC and the Zambian House of Chiefs.
“This project is supported by the Zambian government through the office of the Vice President, line Ministries, the House of Chiefs and King Mwatayamvo in Katanga Province in Congo DR. Our Traditional leaders Paramount Chief Chitimukulu and Mwata Kazembe are supporting this project. We are also grateful to both the Luapula and Northern Provincial administrations, ” Pastor Gondwe said.
He said his company would follow all the basic requirements for the Private Public Partnerships which was the stage at which the project was.
Pastor Gondwe said the construction project would gobble a total of $8 billion adding that the first phase would cover 460Km from Kasama (TAZARA) passing through Luwingu before connecting Mansa via Matanda and finally Lubumbashi.
He said the Luano Railway line would extend to Kolwezi in Congo where two big copper mines were operating while covering the Zambian side mining project by Kalumbila.
Pastor Gondwe said the railway line would be for fast freight cargo which would ensure fast delivery of the commodity at the Port.
He explained that at its implementation stage, the project would create 8000 rural jobs in both Luapula and Northern Provinces.
And Mr. Chilangwa said the government would always be willing to support projects like the Luano Development Railway system for economic development.
The Minister said he had requested the company to always give quarterly updates on inroads made before the actual implementation.
Mr. Chilangwa said he had invited the company to his office for him to get a brief of the scope of the project.
Where is all this money going to come from since can not even refurbish mere Clinics with your own money and is this Wisdom Gondwe a Pastor? You have the govt of Lazy placing all these men of gold to steal our money whilst the preach lies from the English ruthless King Jame’s bible.
With National prayers, that railway can be built in 90 days.
Why the unproductive Northern Province instead of the copper booming North-Western?…..North-Western should be the first priority for heavens sake!
Here are two reasons why this idea will fail. 1. Don’t put new investment in the DRC unless the next Congolese dictator is on your dick. My geography says that half of this new line will be in DRC. The other half will be in Zambia. Yet the chaotic Congolese cannot even properly deal with our own Pedicle Road that has been there for decades. It is drama every day. What about this new rail line? 2. As long as Tazara is dead, the freight will be going very fast to nowhere. Tazara needs to be sorted out to ensure that the freight traffic does not end up stockpiling at the connection point with Tazara.
Ask Kavindale…. i can not see any one in the world who can give US$8bn to a paster to construct a railway line. God luck
Is that a pun for the pastor – “God luck”? Nice one!
Zambia Zambia…who on earth can do business with Congo?? that country is too unstable for me Zambia will be taken over by Congolese who will be jumping on those trains to come and steal and kill…Zambians wake up do business with countries like Botswana and Zim not bad people Congolese are crazy they can’t even produce their own crops!!!
Unfortunately half of Zambians are of similar nature and culture to the Congolese. Hence the attraction.
The feasibility study will “gobble up” US$2.5 million. Gobble up means to chew quickly. Pastor Gondwe says he is sure he will have givt support and MOA with Govt will be signed. So does govt put in the money for the feasibility study.
We have this project with feasibility study, the new capital city with a feasibility study. Am sure these projects wont take place but pipo promoting will be able to access the funds for the feasibility study.
Are these realistic projects or just govt propoganda to give IMF and World Bank and the electorate the impression that govt has an achievable vision.