THE Chinese company constructing a multi-storey building in Lusaka’s Roma Township has defied a directive by the Lusaka City Council (LCC) directive to halt construction and avail necessary documents and has continued building, two weeks after the order was made.
Den Yu Qiang, the Chinese firm is constructing a multi-storey building on stand No. 226/441a at the corner of Zambezi and Kasangula roads much to the chagrin of Roma residents who had written to the council over failure by the developer to follow laid down procedure.
Director of city planning Godwin Chinoya wrote to the company last week ordering it to cease construction, present the relevant documents to the council, and address the challenges raised by the community, failure to which, the council would demolish the structure.\n\n“It has been brought to the attention of the Lusaka City Council that you have continued construction on stand No. 226/441a without the necessary consultative meeting with the Roma community as agreed earlier on.
“You are hereby ordered to stop all construction works being carried out on the named piece of land with immediate effect and you are further required to provide all necessary documents pertaining to development of the property and address all the issues raised by the Roma community. Note that failure to comply with this notice shall compel the Lusaka City Council to remove the said structure without any further notice,” Mr. Chinoya said.
This followed a protest by Roma residents to the local authority through a letter dated August 14, 2018 which was addressed to the Town Clerk in which they objected to the development saying the community was never consulted and that no public notice was erected outside 226/441 to inform them on what was being constructed.
They argued that other than towering over neighbouring structures in the residential area thereby denying them their basic right to privacy, the multi-storey building would compromise the sanitation situation in Roma as no facilities had been out in place to transform the area from being a residential to mixed development zone.
But a check by the Daily Nation revealed that the Chinese company had defied the council’s order to halt construction works until it rectified all the shortcomings as workers were found plastering the erected building with other auxiliary works taking place.
All the works are done under strict secrecy as all entry points to the premises are locked with some workers, seemingly conducting surveillance, taking turns to scan the surrounding from an aerial view
LCC show us the powers by bringing the building down like you’ve been doing to locals. This behaviour you’ve towards Chinese and locals will create tension between us the Zambians and the Chinese. Please hand things by following the rules and laws of Zambia not favouring one side.
Chinese killed a Zambian yesterday, where is the story LT?
The Chinese have a license from Lungu to do what ever they like in Zambia.
They own Lungu and his corrupt ministers, but they do not yet own Zambians.
As I have said before, things will get a lot worse.
The Zambia we have known since independence day is gone.
I think it is time people took the law into their own hands.
This government is not for the people.
They are simply a bunch of thieves.
Imwe ka City Planner….your LUDC approved the plans and issued the developer all the required permits, which the sick LUDC Chief Planner demands that the Contractor furnishes….sounds st.upid. Show us the application made by the developer and approvals issued by yourself. Do not harass the contractor……If your Council corruptly granted the developer the approvals and construction permits, and you demolish their building, they will sue and win big $$$$ in corrupt zed courts.
Chinese have no respect for our laws. Even if their Visas expire, they just stay on cause there is no functional government in Chambia. Locals can’t do any business becoz Chinese have taken over.
The Chinese failed to live in Botswana. All Chinese who were in Malawi, DRC Botswana etc. have moved into Chambia becoz of a disfunctional failed PF Govt.
VIPUBA va gulisa ziko ku tu ma Chinese
The Chinese in Zambia have realized that there’s no law and order under clueless corrupt Lungu’s government. This is very serious. And they will continue to do whatever they want, because there’s no one bold enough to enforce the law in Zambia. The Chinese in Zambia don’t respect the government, and they don’t respect the country’s laws. And the sad thing is, they know that no one will do anything about it. When are you fooools going to wake up? Why you let foreigners break your laws with impunity? These Chinese know that foreigners in China can’t get away with this kind of behavior. And yet you let these lawless Chinese run all over you. Wake the heck up please! Arrest them, deport them and have the building demolished. If you don’t do that you’ll just be encouraging more…
(Continued).. Chinese to start behaving this way. This is shameful. No wonder we’re gradually losing the country to China. WAKE THE HECK UP!!!!
What is a multi storey building? Is it 10, 20, 30 0r 50 storeys. Please write in simple English that people can understand.
Let them continue with the construction project. Those so called Roma resisidents and their tuma old basic structures should not stop progress. Build build build. We want Lusaka to look like other advanced modern cities. our great great grand children should be punished by the tuma structures the so called Roma residents are singing about, ata. Kasako Roma park nge ba leilishanya.
@Digga, or is it Dagga?
The reason other cities have high rise buildings is because of space shortages.
And council permission is obtained for these.
Do you even know what the Chinese want to use this building for?
How did the Chinese buy this prime land?
If the council does not demolish this structure, citizens should burn it down.
These are the type of structures that deserve to be burnt down, not the markets.
Elo ba Council and planning authorities.. What do they do really.. surely… Rhodespark, kalundu, Roma, Nortmead, Woodlands Main, Chudleigh, Mass Media, Kalingalinga MUST be designated Mixed Use (Commercial + Residential) Immediately. They should have done this 10 years ago!!!! This is not 1964 or 1970… This is 2018.. how can these areas remain residential 50 years after independence?? Ba Mayor ba Miles .. If you are reading this. Throw out the petition. Let them build.. after all people are being employed at that construction site. Will the so called residents offer them employment? NO. Even that one pa Kalundu. Give them the permit. People need employment.
I give up!!!!
Not all that glitters is gold.
Ubututu is not good.
Digga…you’re obviously a Chinese agent. The issue is not the Chinese constructing a building in the area. The issue is the Chinese disobeying Zambian laws. Even if you think the area needs those kinds of buildings, they still need to do it the right way by following the local laws. You want the Chinese in Zambia to just do whatever they want with no regard to following the law? You go to China and try and set up a building, anywhere in China, without authorization. I dare you to try it. You’ll see what’ll happen to you. With foooolish people like you, no wonder Zambia is now becoming a province of China.
Ama Zambian Ukubelesha ifiko too much…. Jealous down… Ama choncholi mu Lusaka ba le timba ko utuma good structures. Not ifima dolla hill mall ku Ndola.. no no. Mu lusaka Sunshare and friends are putting up decent structures that DEFINATELY beat utuma structures twa ba so called Roma residents. Build , develop the area. Fast. napa kalundu.. Lets move on from 1970.. Its like our minds are stuck there.
You, in the developed countries you mention they dont just put up shops any how, residential areas remain residential…Unless you mean the slums of mumbai of slum areas in China..
The planner must first tell us whether or not this plan was approved and whether or not the council has these documents. Secondly, the planner must inform us whether or not this is a mixed area or not and if residents were thus consulted before this flurry of activity started. Ba LT na imwe cangamukani! How do you report so uselessly kansi nanga!? Awe shuwa mwe!
“Director of City Planning, Godwin Chinoya write…… Last week……” This is a lie. Director Chinoya has been on suspension for about a month now and couldn’t have written this letter a week ago.
Accuse the opposition for unlawlessness in this matter……. PF think they own Zambia and can allow all nasty things for their selfish interest…….
There are works that the President can sanction and those that are done by those he has given powers to. Nevertheless, when such works reach demonstration levels where the people, who are the Government, start to show such concern the President ought to know and am sure he does. WHERE IS THE NEWLY ELECTED MAYOR? Has he developed Mwensophobia of the Chinese? No wonder cadres do not respect his word.
They the PF are all bribed by the Chinese ,starting from lungu all the way down…
They the PF are all bribed by the Chinese ,starting from lungu all the way down…they depend on the Chinese funding to win elections…
It appears even processes to find out if processes were followed, have crumbled in Zambia. With all the laws, regulations. procedures, town planning regulations etc. one would think it would be easy to determine what has happened or not happened in this case?
On the other hand, in my opinion, proper town planning was thrown out of the window in Zambia a long time ago. There is HAPHAZARD building going on everywhere. Normally there should be proper designation of what can or should not be built where for what reason (for both individual and other purposes) Some structures are suddenly appearing from ‘nowhere’ – even in the middle of existing roads.
By the way, there is a video going round of a Chinese contractor in Uganda apparently fighting with officials, including a minister. Word has it that the contractor was angry that he was not awarded a construction bid.
China has bought Zambia,its now called Chambia.by the time PF leaves office,nothing will be called yours including your houses,the land they’re built on will be claimed by the Chinese.stay tuned and pay attention to the news.Zesco is the first casualty to fall victim of the Chinese take over.Lungu is selling y’all souls in exchange for US $