Works and Supply Minister Felix Mutati has denied reports that Jacaranda Basic School in Lusaka has been sold to a private developer.
But Mr Mutati says there is nothing wrong with redeveloping any old building in the city including Jacaranda School.
Answering questions from Journalists in Lusaka today after the end of a Market Sounding Symposium on the redeployment of idle and wasting assets, Mr Mutati said that it is incorrect to state that Jacaranda School has been sold.
Mr Mutati said what is currently happening is that government on its part has identified about five properties that are idle and wasting and requiring redevelopment.
He said at this stage, Government is consulting stakeholders especially the private sector to see how they can partner government to come up with a viable strategy on how the five properties could be improved.
“We came here for Market Sounding to get the views of the private sector so that we can refine our concept, exchange ideas and create something that is doable and vialbe. Once we collect the issues and the coments then we are going to put this thing together,” Mr Mutati said.
The Works and Supply lasted that there has been no money that has exchanged any hands at this stage.
“There has been no Expression of Interest, no bidding, no contractor and no interested party, we are just Zambia’s interested in developing the country. No money has been exchanges until we follow the due process of the law,” he said.
Mr Mutati pledged that government will be transparent in handling the matter.
“All the bids will be placed in the paper after refinement of the concepts so that the private sector can complete on the basis of a viable technical and financial strategy.”
On Jacaranda land, Mr Mutati failed to categorically state what will happen to School after the land has been given out for redevelopment.
He however stated that government would like to see a super building and a hotel come up on the land where Herbert Young Lodge is currently sitting.
Me Mutati said there is nothing wrong with improving old structures.
“You cannot have goodness here and ugliness there. Tou have to think in the future, even in the family, you cannot have beautiful and ugly children, everybody must be watched.”
He said Jacaranda School deserves to be modernized.
“You cannot have a building of over 30 years still in prefabs. We have to be on a journey of continuous renewal, if something is tired please redevelop it, don’t stick to the old. Even you when you wake up, you have to wash up so that you can continue looking beautiful.”
He added, “there is no sale and no deal is on the table. We will be as open as possible and publishing every step in the press of what we are doing.
And speaking on behalf of Finance Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe, Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba said government will examine Joint ventures, public sector investments, and Private Private Partnerships for the development of idle and wasting assets.
Ffs sale the damn thing
Sell it and stop living in the past you sorry excuses of human beings
Thanks
BB2014,2016
Remember they always start by refusing. The same old outdated strategy
Dilu yasanuka…Dilu yaluka….we need opposition to keep checks and balances on these criminals…ba Pompwe
This government should not be allowed to sell anything, or even borrow money.
They end up stealing everything. They always over price, and pocket the difference.
They are corrupt, rotten to the core.
Zambian, say NO to Lungu. Say NO to corruption.
and so the scam started …. Mutati is now fishing deals as well after leaving Ministry of Finance he realized there is no redemption of the PF appetite to plunder and so he needs to get his cut now. What he is saying is not making sense we have heard this ‘fancy’ concept of PPP being used as an excuse as most people are not availed the complex and often highly technocratic agreements that commit assets to private players over a period of time of which to me is also a sale in some way … why … because by the time the investor gets his full return the structures would have depreciated. Look at the case of Kamwala Market who still owns and runs it ??? This is a new way of selling government assets and they are deals?
Mushota you’re a jackass.
“How do people bid and make concepts” for something you claim is not for sale?
By the way, LT reading this article was a real pain. Even a high school student can edit better than you guys
What a mess.
Mutati and Dora are now on Zambian side. PF on State House side. Government in middle, like a public toilet.
This is clearly a “wasted” govt in wasted years!!
What pricks like Mushota do not understand is that we are better off having an old school that will educate thousands if not millions of Zambians. Selling which fill pockets of few lazy businessmen disguised as politicians, who prefer a to replace it with a mall.
For your own information, corruption has done more damage than war to our beloved nation.
Caught red handed…Kawawala Nipakwanja….Lungu and your gang mwachilamo
@ mushota,do you mean there is no money for renovations. Ppp’s and borrowing can’t be the order of the day
How do you renovate a prefab?
THIS IS VERY SAD INDEED.WE EXPECT THE GOVT TO BUILD MORE SCHOOLS NOW THAN DEMOLISHING AND SELLING LAND TO CHINESE.
WE REMEMBER SATA’S CAMPAIGNS SOME OF US WHO WERE IN PF THEN,THESE ARE THINGS THAT THE LATE MCS MHSRIP AS AN OPPOSITION LEADER FOUGHT AGAINST.THINGS LIKE THE WAY ZAMTEL WAS SOLD AND HOW FINANCE BANK WAS GRABBED.
PF UNDER LUNGU HAS ABANDONED SATA’S VISION.THIS IS NOT THE PF WE LIKED UNDER SATA.
VERY DISAPP0INTED INDEED BY LUNGU.
FILI UKO TUYA.
What does Mutati confess to his priest when he attends mass on Sunday? I used to be a Catholic years ago but I have since turned to atheism.
My friend, you have jumped from the frying pan into the fire.
I am very disappointed with Hon Mutati on this issue. he strikes me as an honourable man but he failed to deny that the school land is up for sale. It means they are going to sell it which is very sad that a school can be considered a wasting asset.
THAT IS THE CALIBRE OF OUR POLITICIANS, IF WE THIS LOT IN 1964, INDEPENDENCE WOULD HAVE ELUDED US BIG TOME. “Ubomba mwibala alya mwibala ” and “sebana wekuta” is what keeps their spins together.
#ZAMBIAN’S WAKEUP ZAMBIA IS ON SALE.
They have just been caught pants down.
That is why lungu hates private media for spoiling his deals…..how can you call for a consultative meeting 12 hrs after being exposed ?
Good answer Mr. Minister! I was talking to a friend in Zambia and he told me, “HaTribes is cursed!”
He has merely changed the term to ‘redevelopment’ all in all agreeing that it is being sold. Why can’t they use that money to actually increase the capacity of the school, modernise it, since they have all this infrastructure money just laying around
iwe ka mutati u want to start selling now assets.Nooooo no wander lungu dropped u bcoz u both ba malukukula…lo
Findeco House is next!!
And these are only assets that have come in the public domain. What about other assets that might have been sold secretly already?
Ladies and gents, this is not development!! How can a school be a wasting asset? This in fact is one of the best govt schools in Lusaka. The rest are a sorry sight, are they selling them all? If you don’t believe me, go to Lusaka girls/boys and compare. In the same neighborhood. A responsible govt focuses on empowering its citizens. This school should be modernized and kept as a public asset. In fact we need more schools in that area not ‘models of fancy buildings’ in such a poverty stricken place. I wonder why this government thinks foreigners can bring dev. No country has ever been built by foreigners, China was built by Chinese, USA by Americans, Britian by the British. Zambia will only be built by Zambians, these foreign investors are up to no good. Empower Zambians to build Zambia,…
HaNegatives will never EVER be in power! HaTribes!
Why are you so bitter? Why do you hurt so much?
Mwati kuli normal
Ni nyele kuli tonga bull.
#7 Spaka lilo, ??????? what are you saying? Did you watch TV and see how many interested people attended? Did you in your warped mind imagine that you could mobilise so many responsible people at short notice 12 hours. Ala mule tontonkanya plizi abena dundumwezi.
This morning Hon Mutati and the minister of general education were reported to have expressed ignorance on the matter.. and I did indicate that the ministers would not be bothered by noise empty tins from upnd. And now you see the honourable minister not only addressing the gathering but also answering some questions from proper journalists and not rubble rousers
This is not about tribes I hate fools who are always attacking other tribes. Ifya mafi
Those were buses in PF caders and GRZ workers forced to attend….
Kawalala Jona Chagwa is busy building Mansions, & shopping malls abroad, when a fraction of that cash could be used to renovate & build better schools.
Then you have P.F [email protected] bumping their diseased gums saying theres no corruption, just developmental programmes, ba nyani imwe!
This is indeed sad reading. I attended this school in the late 60’s it was then called Lusaka Infants School. From here boys went to Lusaka boys now Lusaka High School and the girls went to Lusaka girls. The school was excellent and we all got a triangular packet of milk at break time. We cannot continue erasing history please simply refurbish it to a modern well run school or trades school so that in future we can have the much needed artisans rather than depending on imported everyday skills in the name of investors.
These are properties of Zambia and its people. You may have good intentions but why dont you consult us before making such big decisions? You are today engaging us because it has come out in the open? It is clear that you guys are in the process of ”PRIVATIZING THESE PROPERTIES”. You can not have all key businesses being controlled by foreigners. Ba Mutati, you have been to school and you know that these Chinese are using funds fromtheir banks for these projects. The government is using its people to to economically have a grip on our country. Why cant you support Zambians to take up such projects? There is NO political will at all. You are just ONE BIG GANG RIPPING off our country. Jacaranda school is just in the same state as most government offices around the country. Are you…
going to privatize them all
Nanga upnd amvela? Waste of time trying to pump sense into these cattle, so you think that the pupils will be thrown out just like that? You think no other school will be built to replace Jacaranda if the replanning goes ahead? You also think that ALL buildings built in 1907 should be left like that? Your great grand children will not renovate the mud brick house that your great grandfather built in 1925 and left for you, or even locate elsewhere to New Kasama or Kabulonga?
Look here guys, only upnd can think like upnd but for the majority of Zambians, that is strange and warped thinking more like animals in a kraal.
Yeah. The cattle UPND would rather Cairo Road was restored to a farm called John Laing or one of those that dotted the dusty Cairo road of yester year. Please ba Mutati, don’t be apologetic. Be bold and tear them like for Levy Junction. Sell these damn things we progress!! Schools to suburbs!
Does anyone see dilapidated schools in downtown J’Burgh or London? They are long gone. Those buildings will soon be auctioned by bailiffs coz they can’t raise the escalating land rates they are sited on from the increasing value they sit on.
A bunch of theives ……as someone said jacarandah is in a better state than what was Lusaka boys….are you going to sell that too ?
The only thing they know is how to sell something, how about building something from the scratch? We have plenty of idle land around and one wonders why they want to cram the capital city like a shanty compound.Lusaka as it were has run her race, the most viable option is to develop new areas around it. There is plenty of land and water resources. Does it mean that life can only thrive in Lusaka? Wake up and smell the coffee. Everyday is sell this, sell that? Why were you voted into power? To simply loot the meager resources around? Shame on you nincompoops.
This government can look you straight in the eye and say that smoke you see, there is no fire at all.
the main question here is where are they going to take the students at that school as they will be developing the said school…….cause development yes that we need but we also need to look at the consequences of such actions
Does it mean Zambia has no history plse. Spare Jacaranda school. First in Livingstone you demolished the first hotel in Zambia northwestern hotel. Plse spare the old RCZ church as well
See the historical buildings in UK still standing. Kugulisa Kugulisa kwa nyanya.
Wee Lungu wee!!!!!!! Wee lungu Weeee!!!!!!!!!! I warned you that last time they revoaked your legal practicing certificate. Make sure sale that land and spare money for legal proceedings. Why? Because this time it will be your legal practicing certificate and your immunity will be revoked. E Chagwa L. Wagwa 2021. Sale that land you will see.
Public outcry has done the damage. After being caught pants down, the only logical thing left is to do damage control by the old fashioned way (zaka nama years) of denying that selling was not part of plans. Typical of how we do things around here.
I am really shocked by the kind of politics that Zambians are engaging in.
Very sad indeed.
The article has a lot of comments from people who have never even seen places like Jacaranda physically.
The ignorance on this site is mind blowing.
No wonder progressive minds are busy making money and creating wealth in Zambia while the citizens specialize in insulting the leadership.
All I see is an opportunity for all of us to redevelop Zambia.
NOTHING ELSE.
Beyond Reproach – I agree with you. Everything is politics here without even reading and analyzing things. There should be an outcry if teachers and the children are left in the cold. You can’t have a dilapidated school in such a prime piece of land. The dilapidated shops in the CBD should also be redeveloped to improve the face of the city.
I find the anachronistic mindsets here shocking. Have bloggers here ever heard of urban renewal programs in other countries where sparkling new skyscrapers replace old and wasted structures? When I first went to Accra and Addis Ababa in the 70s and 80s, all I could see around me were old dilapidated and decrepit old buildings, nowhere near in quality to what we had in Zambia then. In comparison, Zambia looked so modern. Now the tables have turned. These cities are now sparkling with modern and green skyscrapers, having demolished structures I once found there. Yet here we have people seemingly stuck in some time warp, nostalgically protecting dinosaur-like pre-fabricated buildings of World War II vintage because they attended school there! Where to mother Zambia?
I find the anachronistic mindsets here shocking. Have bloggers here ever heard of urban renewal programs in other countries where sparkling new skyscrapers replace old and wasted structures? When I first went to Accra and Addis Ababa in the 70s and 80s, all I could see around me were old dilapidated and decrepit old buildings, nowhere near in quality to what we had in Zambia then. In comparison, Zambia looked so modern. Now the tables have turned. These cities are now sparkling with modern and green skyscrapers, having demolished structures I once found there. Yet here we have people seemingly stuck in some time warp, nostalgically protecting dinosaur-like pre-fabricated buildings of World War II vintage because they attended school there! Where to mother Zambia?
That’s MMD in action. Stay alert, everybody!
PF Education Minister Mabumba knows nothing about Mutati’s manoeuvering.
What does “Article awaiting moderation”mean ba LT? Is this a form of censoring of even harmless write-ups?