The Zambian Embassy in Berlin has stepped up efforts to get its ‘house in order’ following concerns of dilapidation that have emanated from the latest Auditor General’s report, which paint a bleak image of the Zambian residence in Europe’s largest economy, Ambassador Anthony Mukwita has said.
The Auditor General’s report showed embarrassing distasteful images of the ‘crumbling’ Zambian edifice built in the early 1930’s and has received little or no touch since it was acquired by the Zambian government when the mission moved from Bonn to its current Berlin station after the fall of the Berlin Wall and unification of Germany.
This is according to a statement released by First Secretary Press Kellys Kaunda at the embassy of Zambia in Berlin tabulating the ‘sad state of the dilapidation of Zambian residence and a defunct building initially meant to be a chancery or embassy.’
Ambassador Mukwita who moved to Berlin from Stockholm, however, has expressed confidence that the ‘problematic’ issue of both the dilapidated uninhabitable house and chancery shall be resolved.
“I feel confident that these two issues that have constantly raised concern from the AG and local building authorities will be resolved soon because our bosses the Permanent Secretary, the Minister of both Foreign Affairs and Finance have taken keen interest in correcting the situation and opening a new page around the house and chancery in order to plug the unnecessary financial resource drain,” said Ambassador Mukwita.
An inspection in January 2017 by the Permanent Secretary and Minister of Finance found a situation where water pipes have been leaking, roofs and floors cracking at the old residence while huge amounts of money were being spent on a building meant for the chancery that is not occupied because it is officially uninhabitable.
This compelled the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in September 2017 to direct the Zambian embassy in Berlin to engage experts to immediately identify new property for purchase as a chancery and residence after selling the old stock in Pankow.
“Local building authorities and experts here in Germany have certified the house unfit for habitation due to its grave state of disrepair that present a potential hazard and have recommended a total demolition in case of the house and the chancery,” said ambassador Mukwita.
These concerns have been duly forwarded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Finance for action.
Consequently, in September 2017, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised the embassy of Zambia in Berlin to ‘quickly’ engage experts to sell the dilapidated old property and replace them with presentable habitable property in a transparent manner and above board.
Ambassador Mukwita expressed gratitude at the ‘special interest’ the Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary has taken in finding closure to the matter.
“Our Permanent Secretary has been greatly responsive on the matter and we are grateful because once the issue is closed we will save resources by owning our own chancery and own house in a respectable representational area,” said Ambassador Mukwita.
“consequently money currently used for rentals will be used for expanding economic diplomacy as per the directive of our President.”
The top diplomat said currently the mission that has extra accreditation to Poland, Slovak, Austria, Hungary and Czech Republic could barely travel to all these economically active destinations due to a dearth or scarcity in financial resources.
“But once we make a huge serving when we stop renting and start owning respectable and worthy property,” the Zambian ambassador said, “we will be able to spread our wings and deliver the necessary economic diplomacy we were sent here for which we hold dearly to our hearts.”
Ambassador Mukwita thanked especially the Permanent Secretary Ambassador Chalwe Lombe for showing special interest and taking steps to resolve the matter of the chancery and Zambia residence.
The Zambian residence in Pankow for instance is located minutes from the Tegel International airport making it susceptible to never-ending noise pollution.
In addition, Pankow is not also considered a preferred residential area for members of the diplomatic community as the majority lives and works elsewhere.
The swimming pool as observed by the auditor General’s report has remained dysfunctional since 1999 collecting debris and stones resulting in it becoming a potential breeding home for germs while ceiling boards and stair-cases are cracking.
In addition, there is intensive leaking of water pipes and lack of heating in a city where temperatures can trip to minus 5 degrees.
Concerns already abound that the chancery that has not been occupied since 1999 could be a matter of discussion by the city fathers, the City of Berlin that have received numerous complaints of it being an eye sore.
“We just don’t want to answer questions regarding this matter before the Auditor General again when a solution at no cost to the government does exist,” said Ambassador Mukwita.
Looks like this Cholera outbreak was angelic or God sent. It seems the PF leaderships have started to realise how filthy the surroundings they have subjected Zambians to live in. Cleaning places is now all the rage. This is how it should have been. Things need to be maintained and cleaned. They don’t maintain themselves.
And you f heard it from me here for the first time and I will SHOUT it : If the Government, both Central and Local , put in place the plans to clean and maintain places across the whole country, YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT WILL BE CUT BY 80%. Ya, thats right.
All argued well until you reached your ‘80% youth unemployment’. Please stop using unsubstantiated, uneducated and exaggerated claims. Was going to give you a thumbs up but I will not do anything instead.
Anthony this shouldn’t be a priority in Germany.
Thanks
Bb2014,2016
@Alternative facts, when I say youths, am not using your definition that includes the like of people like PF youth leader Kennedy Kamba who has been a youth for the last 30 years or so , the like of Kampyongo, those who have just overstayed at the youths party. No am not talking about FAKE youths with 30 years experience of being youths. I’m talking about the real youths ..the 17 to 25 or so. So in a transitional space ..drop outs and the like. This type of work can’t be for eternity. Just like in other countries, some jobs are just for students to raise some money. It is difficult in Zambia for a youth to step out and easily find a job to raise some money while waiting for something bigger. That is what am talking about
Eeh The limelight guy has moved to Germany, aha you will hear more about Germany now including dilapidated chanceries and the like which at the end of the day don’t add an iota of value to the ordinary folk struggling to survive out there on the street
Mukwita, seeking attention, just give back that bullding to the Germans, so that they show you how to do it
May look like a sh!t-h0le, but should not be the cause of diverting resources from Zambia to Germany. The chancellery can raise their own funds to repair (Ask Nevers Mumba how he managed in Canada).
Chase them. They are bringing Cholera!
Bootlicker 2nd to Lusambo, this trash started in 1999 when your MMD was in high gear.
ANTHONY Mukwita instead of writing fake books (with fake stories/news) praising Jonathan about how great he is and how you almighty went against all odds (including stealing from and client, being struck off the law practicing then getting himself back on it) and becoming the six (but rigged) President, sort the dirty in your Germany embassy out before you bring Cholera there.
Anthony you priorities are obviously wrong, you spend your time managing a weird dress code, crossing you legs and drinking coffee, making a fo.ol of yourself thinking waw, I am ‘Your Excellence’ when your are just a regular i.diot in the eyes of the ‘white folks’. Sort out the mess man but no ‘dodgy’ deals in the process, like Nevers Mumba was doing in Canada.
With a lot of fake photos and news circulating, one must be wary of what is displayed here. Berlin councilors may not even allow a situation to degrade to this level!
If one said it was Mukwita’s abandoned house in Lusaka, I would more likely believe that …
Since I got my German passport I don’t even go there. Trump was absolutely right S’hole country
GERMANY IS ONE COUNTRY WHEN YOU LAND THERE YOU IMMEDIATELY SEE THAT THE GERMANS HAVE GOT VERY HIGH STANDARDS IN EVERYTHING. THEIR CITIES AND FORESTS ARE SO TIDY AND CLEAN. BUT, WITH WHAT I HAVE SEEN IN THE PICTURE, IT WOULD BE SURPRISING NOT TO HAVE CHOLERA IN THAT EMBASSY OF ZAMBIA. THIS IS YEARS OF NEGLIGENCY FOR THE STRUCTURE TO LOOK THAT FILTHY.
Embassy staff should paint and clean up surroundings themselves instead of just going to Oktoberfest.
This is similar to the street vending situation in the country. We do not seem to be ashamed of being dirty even in a foreign country. Why?
Because of “Unprecedented development” under the “anointed”, “vise”, “visionary”, “humble” and “well traveled” Endemically Corrupt Leader of Plunderers Federation?
since 1999
We are a mess wherever we GO. GOD come back and recreate US!
We want to export cholera to Berlin as well oh this sh$&&gap per DT
That staircase is a death trap… well at least they are not stealing money and diverting it using the embassy. Oh wait, that’s what they are about to do. Please fix the damn thing but don’t use it to steal more money in your pockets.
Tis our very same Kulima Tower ,Chibolya and Matero neglect culture transplanted into Germany. “Maintenance ” in Zambia is a word only found in a North Korean dictionary.
Nensoni tabakwete ishakutwala ifiko kwabene.
Edjigar Cholera Lungu!
High standards & maintenance culture in Zambia are two orphans ,but neglect ,filthy low standards and cholera have many parents and lots of close relatives.Now they’ve also been adopted to grow up in Germany.
We always take to long to act. Their is just too much talking in Zambia and very little work.
Is this not what Mr Dickson Chasaya was against yesterday of undressing Government matters on social media…The lamentations should be addressed to the relevant Ministry in charge of all Govt buildings…And of what use is this information if it’s already captured in the AGs report….
Embassy Staff can contribute and buy a tin of paint at least. Alternatively, they can fundraise and buy tins of paint but alas! we are all waiting uon the government. Shame.
Just close the damn thing and recall the clown who dresses like a star whilst living in squalor.Tell us what have we benefitted and how much we have spent renting the useless premises.
Its a shame PF can not export to Berlin its Chine contracts to overprice works!!
Mr Chasaya was against discussing Government matters on social media and it has been defied within 24hrs…The lamentations should have been addressed to the relevant ministry in charge of Govt buildings because of what use is this information if it’s already captured in the AG’s Report…
You can take a Zambian out of Zambia but you can’t take the Zambian out of the man.
Find some funds and quickly renovate the dilapidated infrastructure. First time visitors get the impression that we are an impoverished nation. Even if we are indeed a poor country let’s not show it in foreign lands by the way we maintain the infrastructure at our embassies abroad
If you cant afford to maintain embassys dont open them,simple or you want a seminar organised by donors to tell you that so that you get per diem?
Looks normal for Zambian standards
Iwe Mukwita sorts out this issue with your boss The PS at Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He will help you. Do you really need to publish this article? Government structures, especially in rural Zambia, are dilapidated. If they all came out and posted such articles in media! Look here, the good president, the man of the good soul, President Lungu is aware of all these problems and he’s addressing them one by one. What you should do, submit the needs for renovation to your boss, The PS who in turn will work with his boss Hon. Malanji to plan for you, and feed into Hon. Chitemene so that he stops ‘hitting the ground running’ and instead raise a BOQ for your renovations which will be budgeted for by Hon. Felix Mutati for financing. Isn’t that simple?
Imagine, they are so quick to publish some of these stories forgetting that it exposes their inefficiencies. Fix the thing like yesterday!
ubupuba… Germany is neat nation ekomwaya ikalakwati nibaKoswe? ifiko fyenu
Embarrassing that’s all I can say!
People occupying this place should have been taking care of it. has there been no one there from 1999?
What does one expect?
In Chawama where our leader hails from, that Sh1thole facade is the norm.
Hahahahaha, and the Ambassador tries to look like a dandy….
@ International ORDER, Ihateweakleaders and others; i agree with you; Only KK’s Zambia made us proud at home and abroad; these are the cadres who are blogging day in and out to support street vending at home because they don’t know what cleanness is all about;
No one has died due to ‘dilapidated stairway’ at the embassy in Germany but here in zambia , thousands have died due to cholera. Where do you spend your money on?
This is the trend across Zambia . You always come across leaking roofs and leaking taps if water ever come through them. The goal posts at primary football grounds have all been stolen and kids can not play football and netball anymore. The toilets in some schools and colleges like COSTO cannot flush .
The real Zambia!
What a shame. I don’t understand how they could let this happen. The former Zambian residence in Bonn was always well maintained.
This paints a very bad picture on the country. Please sell it off and get something you are able to maintain. In any case, who even needs an outdoor swimming pool in a country like Germany with only a minimal number of hot days in a year?
The outlook is the poverty we have in our country.
clean the mess and don’t broadcast
It is very shameful to show others how dirty we are. Right now with this outbreak of cholera, people are just nodding their heads in agreement to the reason why its cholera. ..not any other disease …but dirtiness, now we are displaying it in German without shame….meanwhile all attention is on HH, nothing else exists but UPND…all monies are in their pockets..nothing for anything else, but bribes, and buying individuals…..shemuna sheemu.
………AND PLEASE SEND THE ARMY THERE TOO!
That building looks haunted ……..maybe this is a job for Religious Rev. Minister??
Ati Plunderers Federation meaning the Pabwato people ruled by defacto leadership of Edgar Chagwa Lungu bizarre, only speaks locally ‘bemba’ paradoxically believed is such.
In the first place, do we really need all these embassies?
Such a long Long story just on a rotting building! We should have priorities in life
YOU HAVE WELL & TRULY BEEN DUNUNA’D!!
When is The Plunderers Federation -(P.F) going to via “Godfridah”, declare a week of fasting, wailing, & gnashing of teeth, so God can sort out that filth culture P,F has “proudly exported” to Germany?
However this wailing, & gnashing will cost the Zambian taxpayer U$D 2 Million, as we are flying our Cadres J.K. et al, to the prayers in Germany
However dopey Zambian’s donchi even bother questioning the cost, or GREAT GOD WILL STRIKE YOU DOWN FOR DOUBTING GODFRIDAH & GOD’S OWN HUMBLE CHAGWA, OKAY!!
Anso, we need to borrow more cash to facilitate this Prayer against our embassy squalor, & anyone against, I have one message to you -GET OUT!!!
Dog Watchers in Zambia visited the embassy!