Friday, March 29, 2024

We have failed to raise enough funds to rebuild City Market-Government

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Vincent Mwale
Vincent Mwale(L)

Government says it has failed to raise the required amount of money to reconstruct the gutted City Market.

Local Government and Housing Minister Vincent Mwale told Journalists last evening that government has now decided to downgrade its earlier intentions to construct a six storey building and will now settle for a three storey building due to lack of funds.

Mr Mwale said only about 30 percent of the budgeted funds have been raised from well-wishers to reconstruct the market.

Mr Mwale said Government failed to raise the K30 million required for the project and only managed to source for K12 million mainly from the nosiness community.

He said government is in talks with a named mining company based on the Copperbelt which has offered to reconstruct the market on the land where the original structure stood.

Mr. Mwale said the mining company will be officially named once all the negotiations are concluded but noted that the mining firm is only waiting for designs from the Ministry of Local Government and Housing before proceeding.

He said the mining company will engage its own contractor to build the market but that government through the Ministry of Local Government and Housing will supervise the works.

Mr Mwale said the new market will accommodate more Marketeers and will have modern facilities such as banks and a nursery school.

He said Government will this week put up temporary shelters for the displaced City Market traders to allow them to continue trading on the temporary site even in the rainy season.

Mr Mwale revealed that BSI Steel and another named company dealing in roofing materials will this week donate building materials to the Ministry which will be used to put up temporary shelters.

68 COMMENTS

  1. Why did you burn it in the first place…. sorry. Those people who burnt it are evil…see, see now the govt has even to find money to rebuild the market. This is bad!!

    • Very interesting but they somehow could raise funds to build a new state house that Lungu could potentially reside in. I think we need to start been honest with our people. Zambian money for Zambian people. Please find it and give our people the best. Moreover, the burning was very questionable

    • @Mushota is ”loanor bond” a new type of cryptocurrency? I don’t know what your specialisation is but I will advise how to this to work out:
      1. The government must float for shares on the stock exchange for Zambians (ONLY) to own shares in raising capital for rebuilding and operating the new market.
      2. The new market must be run by an independent organisation or local authority (it must not be a cash cow for them) but all income must be held in trust
      3. Build And Operate, Loan, foreigners etc is a no-go!
      4. Bonds could be sold by Bank of Zambia which will be floated
      5. This must be a Made in Zambia by Zambians solution
      Alternatively could be outsourced to Nick!

    • MB there you are trying to assassinate my good standing on this site because I forgot to touch a space bar.

      How dare you !

      The kitchen knife is in my hands in a ‘ bushman holding a spear position’, you make one careless step forward and I will let go – and quiet honestly I rarely miss.

      Unless you want to forgo peace and don’t want to see 2018, I demand a fair share of love and respect you accord your loved ones.

      You have been warned.

      BB2014,2016

    • @Mushota I am still wondering what your PhD thesis was on or perhaps you didn’t write? Yes or no simple! As for your own carelessness (which you accept)- you will be punished for it! Anyway, please don’t change the subject. Tell us in your own words where this loan will come from and how it will be paid back? Thank you!

    • OCT 1: 87-million Kwacha allocated towards setting up of an Infrastructure Fund.
      What is the point of this Infrastructure Fund, if it can not be used for such much-needed infrastructure like City Market?
      DEC 24: The PF Government will not shy away from Borrowing-President Lungu
      Why can’t he borrow for a structure that will serve the people of Zambia – Lusakans in particular?

      Isn’t this against PF manifesto to build infrastructure for the people?
      Hmmm…scratching my head. Chipante pante. This what happens if you don’t plan

    • One president built the city market. Edgar Lungu came along and put it on fire, reducing it to rumble. What a savage of a president we have!

    • The chickens are coming home to roost….this is what happens when you have corrupt reckless leaders who make plans based on their size of their kick from the Chines…where on earth have you seen a three story market!!
      You burnt down the previous market and no one has even been arrested …it was all dull Lazy Lungu’s plot!!

    • I am just wondering, is this really a market or mall?
      I can’t imagine walking to the 3rd floor to buy my usual chicken. This will one of its own in the world.

    • Then the Mining House can run away from paying Taxes for the next 100 years in exchange for the paltry US$3.0 million dollars. Tulimuchibe

    • Citizen

      Here is a more advanced fire truck…..costing $280k , as you can see this one has more hydrology tools as seen by the number of side openings compared to the wheel borrows costing $1million

      google.co.uk/amp/s/www.crawleyhappytimes.co.uk/new-state-of-the-art-fire-engine-for-crawley/amp/

    • @Spaka: Even when private sector procurement officers are buying oils for a factory, the call different suppliers looking for the right specifications. The cheapest oil will not be bought if it does not meet the required specs. THEY DON’T GO TO GOOGLE TO LOOK FOR THESE THINGS!!! Tell me, spaka, can you list down the specs. for fire engines the Fire Union was looking for???

    • I can tell just by looking at your PF wheel borrows that those are basic fire trucks with only a pump……the ones listed costing 280k have pumps for water pressure to reach high rise blocks and have various air and hydrolic cutting tools with advanced radio and oxygen refill cylinders for fire fighters…..maybe your wheel borrows have 4 wheel drive that is about it….

      Bytheway 4 wheel drive should not add more than $30k to the cost of a basic truck…..

    • Ba Zambian Citizen, don’t under rate, the power, convenience, ever-improving features of Google, unless you want to mislead your children. But I am sure by now, their first point of call is Google they will disagree with you.

    • Maybe Mulusa can now shed more light on how cabinet approved this; there must have justification to then for the purchase approval. If this was not done then its evidence enough for the ACC to interrogate as procedure was not followed. Hon. Ms K. Mulenga please speak out just on one account of procedure.

  2. We are launching a new Airline next year, what if we fail to raise the minimum required investment of $30 million US? The MMD is causing chaos in PF.
    Meanwhile Agriculture under Dora Siliya has failed farmers on the E-Voucher system.

    We the staunch PF are seeing elements of failure in these MMD people we fired in 2011.

    2021 is not far away, let those surrounding our President advise him correctly. We the staunch feel let down by these MMD people we fired in 2011.

    Your Excellency, listen to us in the grassroots.

  3. A named mining company has offered to reconstruct the building,and now tell us were you are taking that 30million,since you didn’t mention if that mine is adding on that 30million or it will do the entire work by itself….unbaked update

  4. BILD: After making Virgil Van Dijk the most expensive defender ever, Liverpool will next try to lure Schalke’s Leon Goretzka to Anfield, who can join on a free in the summer.

  5. Just an excuse to let the builder of the market keep rentals for their input.
    Lusambo made the same announcement for the masala market.
    Are we having a bet that it is a chinese mining company.

    • But they have managed to secure $30 million for a useless national airline…Zambians are paying for the cost of corruption by Lazy Lungu!!

  6. When you have no priorities you are likely to have problems like this! No reserve money? Hand to mouth Government (H.T.M). No saving plans are unforeseen eventualities! We don’t run a government like this!

  7. Kapoyongo and lungu know who started those fires…….then after someone pockets over $20 million from 42/42 The fires have stoped ??

    PF were behind the fires. The PIG told us UPND had been arrested, where are the suspects you arrested ??

  8. Its not only the city market you have failed, PF has failed this nation. 2021 is too too FAR! They need to go…………………………. as the day of reckoning draweth near

  9. The whole explanation is you have given vague. If the Mine builds the Market what are you going to do with the $12 Million? More money in your pocket Mwale.

    Like someone has already made an observation, all the MMD Ministers are failing: Mutati, Dora, Mulusa, now Mwale is acknowledging failure.

  10. It is shameful that Government has lost everybody’s confidence because of corruption. First of all, Government has failed to raise the requisite funds from the public because of corruption. Members of the public don’t want their money to looted. How else can one fail to conclude so when the unnamed mining company has refused to donate money to government. Rather, the company itself would rather construct the market than give “monkeys in the maize filed” to feast on the donation. My worry is, if the market is constructed by the mining company, what happens to the K12 million which has been already donated? Will it be given to the mining company as counterpart funding or will the “monkeys in the field” feast on it?

    • …it’s not a donation. The mining company is looking at how to benefit from their investment. They will probably create a company that will be given a lease and collect levies. Try and use your head not your emotions and hate for PF….

    • Citizen…..

      The Zambian public now sees corruption when they see PF…..the public have lost confidence all institutions of governance….

  11. July 11: COMMITTEE of ministers appointed by President Lungu to look into the rebuilding of Lusaka City Market has resolved that the trading place be rebuilt in six weeks.
    WHAT HAPPENED? SO these ministers came out with such statement without even considering where they will get the money? That is what I say, PF government doesn’t see beyond the noses, they are concerned with today and never think of tomorrow….what an embarrassment !!! My take on this is that the government was counting on the ChouChou-li money, and they got scared when rumour had it that the Chinese will take over and the public was becoming more concerned. the last drop in the ocean was after the Kanganja saga, so they backed off

  12. A drive around lusaka with an uninsured vehicle will land me in trouble.Yet koswes are not insuring national assets someone must take the fall.leadership on a zambian context is about barking orders and shooting people with divergent views and voices of reasoning ,and not taking responsibility.This very bad mentality of thinking those in oposition are enermies and not partners is what is causing this whole mess.To say the truth everything is breaking down and at this rate kaya.
    When leadership is questioned ati baletuka ba kateka all we hear is ba lesa ebo batupela aba bene.Zambians lets wake up and stop this rot.

    • The problem is where there are no kickbacks and where they can not find corruption you will not find PF…….but you will find the whole gang of GRZ koswe PF congregating and salivating anywhere there is a chance of a tender…..a fire fighting and detection as in smoke alarms industry should have been built when they were starting those fires…..but with such efforts there is no corruption only hard work so PF will not go there…

    • You might get $50,000 For one one of those wheel borrows if you are lucky….pf only managed to insure each of the wheel borrows for $25,000 !

  13. Mwale only foolish donor will trust you with money to build anything, given your record of being untrustworthy government who steal from your own poor people. You burn the markets and play on public sympathy to raise funds using cheap trickery. Further unscrupulous acts will not make have your way all the time. No sane man can entrust you with his money. You are more likely to share it amongst yourselves than put it to intended use. Thieves and crooks are all over the PF party, you have lost all integrity as vanguard of the poor people’s crusader! Ba Koswe mumpoto!!

  14. By hook and crook, PF had to stay in power so as to us finish-off, to reduce Zambia to ashes. And now, ashes is all we have.

    • They reason that marketeers will not have to go far to take their children to school. But one hopes there will be adequate smoke detection gadgets to prevent children being engulfed in another fire

  15. They should leave planning and leadership to men and women with a grooming for it ,it sims koswes are opperating well above thier stations chipantepante lungunomics.

  16. Does anyone else find these plans confusing? Check these statements below;

    “…government is in talks with a named mining company based on the Copperbelt which has offered to reconstruct the market on the land where the original structure stood …… the mining firm is only waiting for designs from the Ministry of Local Government and Housing before proceeding”

    “…mining company will engage its own contractor to build the market”

    Why doesn’t the government engage its own contractor directly? What’s the mining company’s actual role? The design is from the government – and the government will supervise the works?

    • The mining company here is being used as a cover-up – it will be selecting the contracting companies that are owned by those in government.
      If the government was to engage the contractors directly, the government officials might not have their share.

      How can the government just select a mining company without public bidding, this is strange and smells ba koswe.

  17. But you managed to source for 42 million dollars to purchase fire trucks. Moreover you have managed to source for 30 million dollars to start an airline. Are you guys serious? your time is coming

  18. The guy who was seen with a gasoline can and a match box is know a mista kamba on orders from kampyongo let them face the rathof the law.
    That is the problem with having cadres control goverment assets,We know collections are taken daily from marketeers but even a 10% was surely gonna be enough for insurance on takings .bwafya

  19. It’s not good, mature politics to destroy public infrastructure just so as to taint the opposition with a bad name. This is getting back at you. It has backfired.

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