Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Fire trucks tender is value for money-Vincent Mwale

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Vincent Mwale Sports Minister at Nkana Golf Club
Vincent Mwale

Local Government and Housing Minister Vincent Mwale has defended the controversial procurement of 42 fire trucks at a cost of US$42 million saying government has received value for money.

And Roan PF Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili has alleged that the winning bidder Grand View International Limited donated three luxury vehicles to then Local Government Minister Stephen Kampyongo in order to influence the awarding of the tender.

Delivering a ministerial statement in Parliament this afternoon, Mr Mwale said the tender was cleared by the Zambia Public Procurement Authority and the Anti-Corruption Commission after some of the 15 losing bidders referred the matter to these institutions hoping to reverse it.

Mr Mwale said Grand View International was the best evaluated bid at US$42 million after meeting the technical specifications required for the tender.

He said the trucks are Scania Trucks and that the supplier has since delivered around 32 trucks which have been registered, insured and some have already been distributed.

He said Albion Export Services U.K, one of the losing bidders quoted at 49.5 million US dollars which was 7.9 million higher than Grand View International.

Mr Mwale said the fire trucks are no standard trucks adding that they are custom made in Spain to respond to the Zambian terrain and operational areas.

He said the technical specifications were developed by the users and that the fire fighters informed the procurement team the kind of trucks they needed.

Mr Mwale said the 42 trucks have been built to take in to account the narrow roads and difficult to access areas in unplanned settlements and are able to discharge water from a distance of 70 meters irrespective of obstacles.

The Local Government Minister revealed that the purchased trucks also come with increased storage water capacity of 7,000 litres of water and form compared to the older fire trucks which have 5,00 litres of water and no capacity for foam.

He said within two minutes, the trucks can fill up the tank and come with a stainless-steel tank which contributes to durability.
Mr Mwale explained that firefighters and procurement experts believed that the bidder was best suited to give the country value for money.

He also disclosed that the contract sum was paid for by the Ministry of Finance since the budget line allocated for the Ministry of Local Government was inadequate.

Mr Mwale also explained that the fire trucks procurement was initiated by late President Michael Sata who during the commemoration of the International Fire Fighters Day on 4th May 2012 directed that government procures 100 fire trucks.

He also revealed that the losing bidder, Albion Export Services U.K dragged the Zambian government to court for arbitration in Cape Town for loss of profit but the firm was awarded US$ 150,000 in legal fees.

Mr Mwale also disclosed that the Zambian government has since appealed that court decision.

Meanwhile, Roan PF Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili alleged in Parliament that Grand View International Limited donated three luxury vehicles to then Local Government Minister Stephen Kampyongo in order to influx the awarding of the tender.

Mr Kambwili said three vehicles, a Toyota Hilux, a Range Roger Vogue and a Toyota VX were handed over to Mr Kampyongo by Grand View International Director Bokani Soko, a close business associate of President Edgar Lungu.

77 COMMENTS

  1. I’m sure Vincent Mwale as Head of Public Accounts Committee would have vehemently condemned this rotten deal. Why do we people change?

    • THANKS VINCENT – LOUD AND CLEAR: AS FOR KAMBWILI ITS SOUR GRAPES
      ========================
      I thought so. There had to be an explanation to this alarmed situation. I say it again, only Government taking care of it’s citizens against infernos. You can imagine the deplorable state of fire tenders across the country. People torching markets are running defeated and scared.
      The story of one miserable ousted politician proving his viability by exposing Government’s underhand method of doing things. Stuff happens in all Governments under the sun. If the due process was checked by ACC, so be it. Those against this explanation are free to pursue legal redress. This story is done and dusted. You can imagine the rage of disappointed politicians. Saying things in retrospect. Incredible…

    • THANKS VINCENT – LOUD AND CLEAR: AS FOR KAMBWILI, ITS SOUR GRAPES
      ========================
      I thought so. There had to be an explanation to this alarmed situation. I say it again, only Government taking care of it’s citizens against infernos. You can imagine the deplorable state of fire tenders across the country. People torching markets are running defeated and scared.
      The story of one mis(era)ble ousted politician proving his viability by exposing Government’s underhand method of doing things. Stuff happens in all Governments under the sun. If the due process was checked by ACC, so be it. Those against this explanation are free to pursue legal redress. This story is done and dusted. You can imagine the rage of dis(appo)inted politicians. Saying things in retrospect. Incredible.

    • THANKS VINCENT – LOUD AND CLEAR: AS FOR KAMBWILI, ITS SOUR GRAPES
      ========================
      I thought so. There had to be an explanation to this alarmed situation. I say it again, only Government taking care of it’s citizens against infernos. You can imagine the deplorable state of fire tenders across the country. People torching markets are running defeated and scared.

    • I thought so. There had to be an explanation to this ala.rmed situation. I say it again, only Government taking care of it’s citizens against infernos. You can imagine the deplo.rable state of fire tenders across the country. People torching markets are running defeated and scared.
      The story of one mis(era)ble ousted politician proving his viability by exposing Government’s underhand method of doing things. Stuff happens in all Governments under the sun. If the due process was checked by ACC, so be it. Those against this explanation are free to pursue legal redress. This story is done and dusted. You can imagine the rage of disappointed politicians. Saying things in retrospect. Incredible

    • Zambia is a very espensive country yet it’s one of the poorest countries of the world.
      When you drive around lusaka you wonder if this is the same country.
      Corruption has risen to unprecedented levels and lungu himself is the epitome of scandals. Why has he remained silent on all this? He is probably the grandmaster of all this. Chiluba started it all but lungu has perfected the art of extortionate deals revenge and midiocracy.
      Just a few days ago they gave parliament motel K10m! BUT people who have retired for years have not seen a ngwee!
      These people have a huge propensity for living on borrowed money.
      But look at the people driving PF agenda Kampyongo, Lusambo, Mwila ifi kunkubiti to borrow Kambwili’s term.
      PF- Prepare For suffering!
      And people have the audacity to say…

    • POVERTY IS A CURSE – VERY SERIOUS ONE
      I AM SHARING THIS WITH YOU AS AN ENGINEER – ZAMBIAN EXPERT DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISION ENGINEER WORKING IN SOUTH AFRICA
      1. Depending on traffic counts, a high spec 2-Lane highway (the ones you admire when you come here) constructed using G1 & G3 materials and an asphalt surfacing could cost up to R17million (i.e. US$1.2million) PER KM. I mean a 2-lane highway. It is the specifications – derived from soil investigations and conditions, the design life span and other technical parameters that determine the cost.
      2. Roads also have various types of storm water drainage structures such as culverts, bridges, etc whose sizes specs and depend on the prevailing hydrological conditions, which also contribute to the cost.
      3. The worry that we…

    • CONTINUED\…
      3. The worry that we should have as Zambians is this: IS THIS ROAD ACTUALLY GOING TO BE CONSTRUCTED TO THESE HIGH STANDARDS WE SEE IN SA, or the high spec has only been used to raise the budget yet the work to be carried out will be of a lower standard, and therefore much cheaper?

      4. Who are the engineers we have in government that can independently exercise their judgement in signing off good quality work or refuse to sign off the substandard one?

    • If those fire tenders come with increased storage water capacity, there is no way they could have a single axle for rear tyres. They where suppossed to come with a double axle at the back or atleast a single axle coupled with a support axle. Kuwayawayfye ba Vincent. Ba Kampyongo, you can’t fight Kambwili punch for punch.

    • ZAMBIANS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE KILLED BY POVERTY ARISING FROM POOR AGRICULTURAL PLANNING BY GOVT THAN BY FIRES. THE MONEY WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER SPENT BY GOV’T PLANNING FOR THE FORTHCOMING AGRICULTURAL SEASON. THIS GOVERNMENT IS SICK.

    • Very disappointing that Vincent would be defending such nonsense. Please get a Quote from Mercedes Benz?? For the same type of Trucks. Narrow Roads? Silly and Dull boy, all fire Trucks are designed to access all terrain and the smallest roads. Who are you fooling??

      We now Catch you guys, this is why you were Burning Markets deliberately to justify the stupid procurement?? It’s a shame that Zambians can accept such rubbish.

  2. Defending the indefensible! What terrain that Zambia has and the rest of the world hasn’t got?

    If all oversight public institutional heads are appointed by a single boss, who will oppose?

    • But ka Vincent, like ihule sure? Why defend Kapyongo? Why not wait for Procumbent Minister Kapyongo to answer himself? He is here in New York, he has to answer to these allegations as well.

  3. Mr Mwale, did you say ‘the bidder was best suited to give the country value for money”….

    Sure..??? or did you mean ‘the bidder was best suited to give corrupt PF politicians the country’s money”…

    I think the second one is closer to the TRUTH !!!!

  4. Shoo. The minister said these trucks are able to discharge water from a distance of 70 meters irrespective of obstacles (meaning Fire fighters can easily throw the discharge tubes over society house and distinguish fire @ shoprite) And can fill a 7,000 liter water tanker within 2 minutes. That is 1 minute for 3,500 liters. With our current water reticulation systems. Serious Trucks????

    • Dont mind this tin he is confusing those Fire Engines to those ZP crowd terminating trucks the silly IG ordered last year with 50 caliber mounted machine guns on top of them.

  5. Really laughable…he is talking as if he is talking to kids, how can you have a minister trying to justify excessive expenditure as value for money. Scania, Dennis is the spec used by UK Fire service and they dont cost a million dollars.
    If you are going to talk about value for money talk about add ons like equippment and staff trainning.

    • How do you people sleep …these trucks have been invoiced at twice/ three times the face value and you say let it go.
      Wake up from your docility!!

    • No, we have to get to the bottom of this whole saga, otherwise we will be dealing with same problems after 2021. I am an advocate of continuous improvement, It seems we failed to put a stop or discourage ECONOMIC SABOTAGE after Chiluba. Where are we going wrong, is it; too much power in individuals, lack of transparency, weak Parliament and civil society? OR we need to start loving our country more by installing a process that guarantees that we get the best people to guide and decide on our behalf in an accountable and transparent manner.

    • You and the many of similar attitudes towards such abnoxious situations are the crowd eroding any little remaining fibre of morality ,intergrity and honesty of this once great nation.If things go unchecked they deteriorate to a point anything abnormal becomes accepted and yet the consequences of negligence are well known .STOP your complaicence attitude or are you already one of the walking dead?You need to be brought back to life before you affect the next generation.I pray you do not have any friends, family or companions at all because if you do,you do not love them at all.How can you be so shallow in thinking?How can you not think about the future?How old are you?

  6. Dear Minister, while it is not anybody’s fault, however, it is in public interest that you and your fellow Ministers review the SI which permits elimination of compliant low priced bidders from the race for reasons which are not substantive.

    If you do not do so, the public will continue to cry corruption on every good deal you enter into. Take it or leave it, it is up to you Sir.

  7. Dununa…more money in their pockets. Institutionalized corruption. Oil party functionaries and grass roots. Get cuts on projects for sontapo. 2021 twanwa again. By the time this cartel leaves power Zambia will be the laughing stock of the developing world.

  8. Mr Mwale said the 42 trucks have been built to take in to account the narrow roads and difficult to access areas in unplanned settlements and are able to discharge water from a distance of 70 meters irrespective of obstacles.

    Mr mwale… ..do those scania trucks change shape to fit narrow roads ?? And 70 meters is a standard discharge distance….its like you are talking to your kaponya caders who dance and sonta for nothing…..

    • well said,these trucks dont suck water from a dam,the last time i check in most of towns in zambia,dams are not less than 10 km,thats the nearest town.lusaka has no less than 4 hydrate points.pure politicking chabe.

    • Really laughable…Zambians are really taken for utter fooools under this govt. Very soon ministers will be walking into BOZ with suitcases and withdrawing cash.

  9. When ever you order machinery in numbers , you don’t pay as when you buy one truck.
    Our ministers must not think we so dull to know what they are doing with tax payers money.
    Idon’t think a single truck Will cost a million dollars.

  10. Can some b!tch at LAZ advice how to make this stick!
    Someone has to pay for this OBVIOUS CRIME to my Country and my people.

    • When LAZ comments and Lazy Lungu and tins send cadres to their offices or calls them opposition cadres you just watch like a herd of a thousand Wildebeests watching on as their friend is being attacked by a lone lion.
      Wake up from your docility…do you not pay Tax!!

  11. This Kambwili is not making sense. He was minister at the time. Why did he not stand up then,? All he did was to just sangwapo & get his share of the tenders who proceeds he used to build his personal houses for rent on a golf course. This loud tin!!!

  12. Elo inkomfwe ati another market has burnt into ashes. Umo akaponokwa. You have spent millions on cheap machines without proper explanation. If the money had been used efficiently we could have supplied all 72 districts in the country with a fire engine each

  13. Kambwili it is time you kept quiet! You have a lot of dirt and are pretending to be a sacred lamb! For your own infor you and HH will never be presidents in Zambia!

    • The message is loud and clear. Let’s deal with these corrupt lazy people. Many a persons with stunted brains said Sata will never be a president. There we go, HH, Kambwili, and including prokaryotics such as you are all potentials to the office of presidency of Zambia. UNZA monks baice prepare for a big Viva, these are national issues, stand up for our little people. We stopped chiluba from his third term bid. We can stop these corrupt people now! my fellow luapula people aba bangwele teba tulisha iyoo let’s support someone else like HH. It’s too much taking our money without permission. Bapompwe, bamukukulu, basakalanyo imwe ba kakazolo in the broad daylight.

  14. @Chulu #13, Judas Iscariot to Mary after she poured out her exensive perfume on Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair, “We could have sold that perfume and given the money to the poor!” Sounds familiar? Anyway you don’t read the book so I will help you out! He didn’t say this because he cared for the poor! No! His heart was as rotten as ….! Prescription for heart problems! The blood!

  15. @Spaka like lilo #9, Spaka like lilo, No explaination can change your set mind because HH had removed some people’s skull, washed their brains with Ebu and Dambo then put the skull back! Brainwashed is what I mean!

    • Sharon ,some times hide your nyele for hh, where in this article is hh mentioned ?

      This a matter of overspending Zambians tax payers money……
      We are saying 1 million per truck is too much….if that is the true cost of those trucks , half that price you could have got the same specs

  16. Now let us do the numbers! How much tax did this dodgy company pay to ZRA? Was the company paid in advance? Why? How much assets does the company own? How would you trust a small company with no fixed assets to deliver such a huge job without looking at the risk? The whole thing reeks of corruption up to high heavens! Zambia will drown in her own faeces!

    • @maximus gluteus. I agree. Zambia is submerged in her own faces, and extremely contaminated with corruption. Lazy people want stuff for Free. what poverty can do to the learned lazy person.

    • FIRST AND FOREMOST, WHAT IS THERE BACKGROUND IN FIRE FIGHTING? I AM SURE THE PERSON WHO PLACED THE ORDER IS THE ONE WHO “LECTURED” TO THEM ABOUT FIRE FIGHTING, WITH THE HELP OF GOOGLE. THIS IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS IN THE NICHEKLEKO COMMUNITY!

    • The question we should asking is how long this company has been in operation and when was it created and how it qualified for this tender!!

  17. The moment Kambwili, underfive and his UP.NDonkeys make a comment on the enemies, I know that it’s sour grapes. Why?
    Simple answer: since when did they say anything sensible? Everything they say is a misguided and futile attempt to enter State House. Take it from me you Donkeys, no one with a head on his shoulders takes you seriously.

  18. @thorn something! Exactly the same stuff were happening under the sun of r.B. ordinary Zambians removed him and he cried like a baby for a dark cloud (jail) was cast on him. When the lazy people came, the old man saw a brighter cloud and laughed like hyena cimbwi on bones. The rats are out to steal. The half-caste rat has failed to defend the position. Hahaha.. hahaha ku ngu’mbo eku myesu ba wesu!! Hahaha hahaha bakabolala, basakalanyongo…

  19. Kambwili is a lunatic eating sour grapes now!!he is a bitter man after being dropped as Info.minister by president Edgar Lungu!!!
    Congrats Hon.Vincent Mwale for giving us correct data.upnd cadres making noise here could have been happy if those fire engines were supplied by a UK firm with a bid of a about US$4.9 million-shame!!instead of supporting this local firm led by Mr Bokani Soko,die hard HH’s supporters are busy blaming this good deal.nice that all rules were followed before awarding a contract to this local firm.
    As for Mr.Soko,those are one of the benefits of being closer to the president!!!IF HH WAS IN PLOT ONE TODAY,HIS CLOSE PEOPLE WOULD GET BIG CONTRACTS TOO.SO THIS IS VERY NORMAL AS LONG AS THOSE FRIENDS OF A PRESIDENT ARE ABLE TO DELIVER-THEN ITS FINE!

  20. UP.NDonkeys led by their under5 will stop at nothing to get publicity and sympathy, including killing an innocent young woman, one of their “own”. Spaka like lilo, what was her name again?

  21. Loud and clear sir. Its understood our buildings are very expensive than those trucks, after all its us who pays that money through taxes. Looking forward to seeing those trucks in my home town.

  22. What Vincent has said may be the genuine version but people should still be free to question such a colossal expenditure by government. It is the democratic right of citizens to hold the government accountable on how their tax money is spent.

    What is plain to see here is the big-spending attitude and lack of transparency that has always been a draw- back to our development. It should be part of a democratic goverment to involve citizens in decisions like this so that they have a chance to approve or disapprove before any plans are officially endorsed and money is spent.

    • This is the selfsame govt you support you not even ashamed trying to be level headed…this is why that National Airline should never be contemplated not is it only a bad idea its will be daylight robbery when it comes to procurement. ..even pilots uniforms will cost £1800 each yet they are made for $7 in China.

  23. Google SCANIA and you will find that it doesnt have a manufacturing plant in SPAIN. Can the well informed minister please explain how they were MANUFACTURED in SPAIN.

    • Specialized vehicles like Ambulances, Fire Trucks are never manufactured by car makers…its Third Party Specialist firms that buy the truck and chassis then add on components. ..similar to VIP vehicles with Bullet proof shell and windows; if you order from Mercedes they will simply subcontract a specialist firm to the job for them at a cost to you.

    • Are they also made to change shape and dimentions to fit our narrow roads in unplanned settlements as mwale says the do …….?

  24. Unfortunately for under5 and his UP.NDonkeys, they have lost all credibility in our eyes. No one knows when they speak the truth or when they speak with good intentions. So the majority of us prefer to be on safe ground and ignore the Dobkeys for what they are: empty tins

  25. @27.1 Jay Jay, now that is what I call knowledge and objective thinking. And to think that I nearly mistook you for a Donkey!

    • Zambians are catching on to your stealing and looting fast……judgement day is fast approaching for you theives……

  26. This is the same ka mwale who was cowering in a corner when he was sports minister while kalushya looted FAZ….the team could not afford tickets while we had full stadiums with tickets being printed and sold by kalushya….

    I think this mwale is pushed to the front to cover stealing.. ….

  27. Well explained Vincent Mwale. You are so lovely and handsome. But I think in future before we embark on such purchases involving colossal sums of money let’s consult the public or at least seek parliament approval so that thorough researches are done. You know, in this world of advanced technology people simply google to find out some facts. Honestly, every right thinking citizen of this country should be left wondering at the huge cost of these fire trucks!!!

  28. Dr Kambwili’s allegations merit investigation. However he too needs to be investigated because he was in government when this deal was signed. The deal has a bad taste.

  29. IS THERE NO WAY OF REVERSING THIS STUPID DEAL? PEOPLE PLEASE LET’S COME TO OUR SENSES, SOMEONE IS ROBBING US RIGHT UNDER OUR NOSE AND WE CHOOSE TO SLEEP? NO WAY!! VINCENT OUGHT TO GROW UP HAS HE ALSO STARTED DRUGS?

  30. I feel pity for Vincent Mwale who is now just a rubber stamp in the deal.He has been reduced to “a sales executive of Fire fighters to the extent of even explaining specs of the highly inflated fire fighters.In short VM ‘s statement lacks substance ie tabulation of landing costs.What hes saying is just damage control.This is exactly why our government clinics and hospitals lack medicines.Out of all taxpayers money citizens get medical prescriptions only.What a sham

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