The on-going works on the Ndola-Kitwe Dual Carriageway are a serious diplomatic scandal, says Green Party President Peter Sinkamba.
And Mr. Sinkamba has called upon the Chinese Government to completely write-off the loan given to Zambia for the project for sub-standard works by one of its parastatal companies.
Meanwhile, Mr. Sinkamba has demanded that Kenneth Kaunda International Airport and Ndola International Airport should be allowed for use after completion of the works by China Jiangxi International until the works are verified by international construction experts to avert an airport disaster at the two airports.
Speaking in Kitwe this morning after inspecting the road, Mr. Sinkamba said the quality of works on the Ndola-Kitwe Dual Carriageway by China Jiangxi International is of substandard quality and added that and he has no doubt in his mind that on-going works on Kenneth Kaunda Airport and Ndola International Airport will also be sub-standard quality.
“As the Green Party, we call upon the Chinese Government to write-off the loan which was given to the Zambian government for the Ndola-Kitwe Dual Carriageway because China Jiangxi International, is a Chinese Government company, has done a scandalous job. This is a serious diplomatic scandal. It is not right for the Chinese Government to engage in rip-offs like the Ndola-Kitwe Dual Carriageway,” Mr. Sinkamba said.
“The Chinese Government gave us a loan to construct the 2,000km TAZARA. No doubt about it, TAZARA was a quality job. And we the Zambian people are thankful for perfect job done in a record time. And we also thank the Chinese Government for writing-off the TAZARA loan,” he said.
“Now coming to the Ndola-Kitwe Dual Carriageway, this one is a scandal. The works to resurface less than 70km the Kitwe-Ndola Dual Carriageway has taken a record six years. We expect much better than that from a Chinese Government company. We cordially invite the Chinese Ambassador to Zambia to come to the Copperbelt prove our point. As a face-saver, the best the Chinese Government could do is just to write-off the loan,” Mr. Sinkamba said.
Mr. Sinkamba explained that China JCHX was granted the contract to resurface 65km of the dual carriageway from Ndola to Kitwe in 2012 and up to now, in 2018, the works are far from being completed. He said several stretches along the road have been redone on a number of times but the redone works only last for less six months.
He said the quality of work by contractor China Jiangxi International on the Ndola-Kitwe Dual Carriageway is very pathetic and wonders why the company was awarded such sensitive works without any proven record of satisfactory works in Zambia.
He added that the road is now a serious hazard, especially in the night because half the total stretch of the dual carriageway has been ripped off.
He regretted that China Jiangxi International was allowed to completely rip-off the original works without verification that they could better work. He said even in the state the old road was before ripping it off in 2012, it was by far stronger and of much better quality than the sub-standard China Jiangxi International works.
Meanwhile, Mr. Sinkamba regrets that China Jiangxi International was awarded two very sensitive airport construction jobs. He said construction of runways and taxiways is a very specialized and sensitive job which requires experienced and proven records of excellence.
“Going by what we have seen on the Ndola-Kitwe Dual Carriageway, this company lacks appropriate experience and proven record of experience in Zambia to undertake sensitive and specialized works like airport runways and taxiways. We think that when they finish working on the Kenneth Kaunda international Airport and Ndola International Airport, AITA should commission an independent verification exercise before the airports are operational to avert disasters,” Mr Sinkamba said.
Looks like weed has a good effect on this man. 2021 we can vote for you if the PF fails to control the violent youths.
Sinkamba is right. The chinese government should just write-off that loan. I live in kitwe and work in Ndola. driving along this road is terrible especially in the night. It will be worse during the rain season. The road needs to be ripped off completely and start afresh. It was a big mistake to allow this company mess up the dual carriage in this manner.
How can a bank write off a loan …really laughable…the Chinese will put all you and your children to work for them like slaves when you default…they are no fooools!!
And by then Lazy Lungu will be happily retired in his mansions in Swazi Kingdom and Nairobi…he will even be stating that Zambians are a lazy people.
Massive development is taking place on the Copperbelt we have been told. What is Sinkamba talking about?
This is what the opposition should be doing – not just basking in the name of the largest opposition party and concentrate on insulting one Edgar Lungu. The Kitwe-Ndola Dual Carriageway is an embarrassing scandal. Six years for 65 KM and far from complete – the completed sections have no road marks/reflectors. This dual carriageway connects two big towns that are very close to each other – it should even have lighting.
You are right. It should be like the Joburg-Pretoria highway
Good. Put ECL government under the microscope so that they can be responsible. My niece was asking me how long the road takes to build because she is grown up and they are still fixing the same raod. I was maulesi!
Actually, I think the Green party must demonstrate at the Chinese Embassy to officially lodge this important complaint, and also to petition the Chinese government to write-off the loan.
The nation is behind you on this one sir.
Very true the road is bad.
That road looks very scandalous actually it should be repaired at the contractors expense .
Can a Roads Engineer / Civil Engineering Competent Person Tell us what the Failings of this Road is? Mulongoti
while serving as Works minister once used his fist to commend the quality of a Road. Awe this not good measure! What is the bench mark?
Bush doctor
Thanks Sinkamba for using your voice to good effect.
Kindly come and beat the same drum for us on the Katima Road, as well as the Kaoma- Mongu Road.
We thank you for helping to keep the govt in check in between elections.
@9 Chalo..Good observation BUT TELL YOUR MPs and the party you vote for to fight for YOU!!
The complaint must be addressed to the Engineering Institution of Zambia (EIZ). Addressing the public directly is an attempt to incite xenophobia. It is an attempt to gain mileage. If at all China had no capacity to deliver on a road construction project, how come China is a leading exporter to Western countries? How come countries like the USA and UK are importing finished goods and services? Even the Pyramid at the Louvre Museum in Paris was designed by the Chinese architect. Even good Western schools like Harvard, MIT, Yale or Cal Tech are full of Chinese students. They can afford tuition fees and they can excel.
the countries u alluding to supervise and check the quality of works. here the question is where are our engineers?
China Man cannot take six years to build a 70km road. something is not adding up.
EIZ is not a Client in this Project org. structure …what you don’t get about China is you get what you ask for; if you want an overpriced project using substandard works they will deliver…if you want a top spec innovative project with at a competitive price they will deliver but just use their materials as they are issuing the loan.
As for those “good” universities you have mentioned being full of Chinese students, all universities especially in the UK are fighting for international students as its a revenue stream for them in fees, accommodation..I mean an International student pays £15,000 per year for a degree course compared to £8000 for a local student in the UK. These universities are always on enrolment milk rounds in China, Singapore, Nigeria every year.
As for the Louvre Museum Pyramid in Paris architect Ieoh Ming Pei, is a Chinese American architect Harvard graduate …you go and check the architects of their Olympic stadia especially the famous Bird’s nest stadium most architects and construction managers are European based.
@10 Dr.Kasonde.. Your comment IS OUT OF CONTEXT!! The EIZ did not award and finance a contract that has failed bear intended results. Ethics demand that if a child of family does wrong or employee of a company puts the name of the entity in disrepute damage control and censure are invoked. In this case the company has robbed Zambians and embarrassed the Chinese government so the latter,out of ethics must repair the “damage”and pay for a better road. I heard the previous Ambassador on four occassions cautioning his nationals not to engage in corruption or substandard work as his government was not going to protect them. Now is the time to act! Sinkamba is actually confirming that Chinese can do far better than this shoddy work!!
EIZ is a key stakeholder in any aspect of engineering in the country, including roads and bridges. The other key stakeholder is RDA. The two are capable of providing consultants and advisers to Government. My view is that each project has got its own needs. It is always possible to negotiate and renegotiate agreements between governments. But the opposition political parties must not interfere in technical matters for the sake of mileage.
Is there no ministry responsible for this ?
That is what sinkamba should be asking , not blaming the Chinese …..on this one Peter you are wrong to be not asking what GRZ is doing…
What ministry? The ministry and its RDA are part and parcel of the scam.
Sinkamba is right. Pressure must be exerted on China too. Afterall, as the saying goes: ” ‘He who pays the piper’ or ‘He who pays the piper calls the tune’, meaning that the person who provides the money for something decides what will be done, or has a right to decide what will be done.
You are pressuring china , do you know what PF agreed with them ?
As far as I can tell the Chinese are doing what was asked of them , crap in out.
All the Chinese will do is tell you to go ask your GRZ …..
LT your website is taking too long to load up …..arrrrggghhh
I have said time and time again that these EXIM Bank loans are of no benefit to our nation, KKIA airport maybe be a marvel to look at by a layman but to people in the sector its an absolute rip off and the spec has been reduced….so is that $1.2 billion highway you asked the Chinks to do the evaluation and site surveying then they give you a loan and you get their company to do the works…its like going into SHOPRITE to ask for a loan for monthly foodstuffs and they say they will choose for you (they choose the expensive non sellers) and you just payback with interest.
Zambians, all of you commenting above looks like are equally on the ganja. How can you bypass the people who approved the works, the people supervising & approving the progress here in Z, & jump up & down to the government that provided the finances. Ifyamba bonse. These project are being supervised by your government. Ask them why they are wasting resources. Zambians ukusabaelafye no kuwayawayafye
The people who approved the works are compromised for them to approve such shambolic stuff
Exactly my opinion , like there is no government.
It is like sikamba you don’t recognise the PF GRZ ? Why are you going directly to the Chinese bypassing the client ?
Again typical African mentality , absorbing the people responsible of any accountability. GRZ is responsible , they should be accountable.
“And Mr. Sinkamba has called upon the Chinese Government to completely write-off the loan given to Zambia for the project for sub-standard works by one of its parastatal companies.”
The Chinese do not mind whether the works are sub-standard if the Zambian govt doesn’t complain in fact China Jiangxi International is a state owned company meaning all the money the docile Zambians are loaned to 80% goes back to China… corrupt politicians like Lazy Lungu think they are getting good deals as they are getting crumbs in their pockets but forgetting they are selling from themselves.
And what do you journalists say? This is Mr Sinkamba making allegations so why don’t you show us pictures of the project or give us another opinion?
Sinkamba , the chinese will just refere you to GRZ , go and ask GRZ.
I am not inside Zambia now however I do recommend the green party president for being the kind of opposition we need in Zambia.
What concerns all zambians is how their taxes are used and how the economy is handled by the government. These two and many more others are the issues the common people worry about , people are not so much concerned about how politicians insult each other .
If the chinese can do a shoddy job on buzy roads between two major cities you could wonder what was in their minds roads can be death traps , how many lives. do they expect that road to take .
Smoking something hard -Hagain?
At least he more brains than you who drinks cheap shakey shakey chibuku
That KKIA structure looks substandard even from a distance. We are in for a surprise. If you have seen airports built by the Chinese in Maputo and Angola you will agree with me that KKIA will look like a century old structure within 2 years of handover.
Dept of HaNegatives.
I’m of pf but on this one I salute Sinkamba keep up with what you are doing,
Sinkamba is very right. I wish the entire road was just resurfaced. The stretches that were reaped off are dangerous spots.
sinkamba too much buddah, AVIC is doing the Ndola airport and not China Jiangxi, get the facts right. Avic is into aviations, check their pedigree, no doubt they will do a good job on the airports.
But you are right with the ndola kitwe road.The old road had a better subbase , they should have not tempered with the old sub base instead they should have just resurfaced the old road.But it seems someone was interested with the huge amounts of money that comes with earth works, so the ripped of the subbase to restart the whole construction of the road.
Who did the feasibility study for the rehabilitation of the same road?
@Ghost Dog: On the website Zambia Airports Corporation Limited (ZACL), it is stated that the on-going work at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport is at a cost of nearly US$360 million exclusive of local taxes and is being carried out by China Jiangxi Corporation for International Economic and Technical Cooperation.
So there is no way that ZACL can mislead the nation….. ZACL and Sinkamba are right
Dagga-smoker Union of Zambia.
We talk but they give us a death eye , what can we do? Let them do what they can. Fili ekotuleya Zambia .