A team of Engineers from Japan has completed a three-week feasibility study of Luangwa bridge in Eastern province.
Housing and Infrastructure development Minister Ronald Chitotela has disclosed this to ZNBC News in Lusaka.
Mr. Chitotela said the move is as a result of an agreement between Zambia and Japan following a recent trip that President Edgar Lungu under took to that country.
The construction of Luangwa bridge is a grant by the Japanese government to Zambia.
Mr. Chitotela said the bridge will be 5-hundred meters longer than the current one which is 3-hundred meters.
He said the second and third feasibility study is yet to be undertaken to ascertain the final costs of the project.
And Mr. Chitotela said the Msuzi bridge that collapsed in Lundazi is expected to be opened next week.
He also said works on the collapsed Lunzuwa Bridge in Mpulungu are currently going on well and will be given to a contractor yet to be identified.
Change luangwa bridge for sure hope it’s gonna be in good shape.thanks thief chitotela for your update
Are our engineers not up to the task or is it lack of political will for us to trust them to handle such simple tasks?
Is this man still talking?
Chief thief is still talking.More money in his pockets….lol
You dont have your Engineers included as you are not contributing any funds this is a handout from Japan, you would rather procure VVIP aircraft than build bridges with your own funds..your Lazy President was in Tokyo begging…how can our Engineers learn anything when feasibility and design phase of the project is done by funders and design is done in Japan…this is the most important part of the project.
Doesn’t Chitotelas ministry have a spokesperson why does he have to always issue these statements is he compensating for the scandal he finds himself in ???? Maybe he ought to let RDA take on issuing such statements ….. but yet again talking to the media too much in Zambia equals to “hardworking” …. I think last week we had 2 statements coming from him and now this week he is back issuing statements
Why Japanese engineers and not Zambian engineers?
This is another corrupt move for Chitotela to steal more public money.
In this day and day any contract given to foreigners is wrapped up in corruption.
Wanzelu – This is funded by JICA…when you look at JICA funding systems, one Chiti the thief will not see a single cent, Japs are not like the Chinks who want you to indebt yourselves.
The Zambian govt has no money to spare to build a suspension bridge but has funds to buy Brazilian Jets for a pointless airline that will drain resources
@jayjay
Ok . I thought its another infrastructure loan.
i wonder what this thief of chitotela is still doing on the helm of major contracts. Some one supporting him fears that his corruption will errupt like a vocalno hence shielding him to hold on into office. stand aside and be investigated if you are clean. allow the law to take its course.
The reporting is also suspect: 500m longer than the current one which is 300m. This means that the new bridge will be 800m long. These are issues that create unnecessary tension when project costs are determined!
Sometimes, grants come with specific procurement policies. In this case I suspect Japan wants most of the procurement to be handled by themselves hence their own Engineers around. Let’s enjoy the product!
Miya – This is a grant from Japan hence their industry benefits …procurement is done by them …all you have to do is do the paperwork for permits and watch them build then commision smile that this is infrastructure development. Japs will then pack up machinery and ship it back …no skills/ knowledge transfer …that’s Zambian development.
I mean even the language on the plans on those Chinese Exim Bank projects is Chinese and these will be Japanses as well…50 years after Independence we can not build even a small foot bridge….at the end of the project you will see the reckless foooooool from State House smiling yet he has not contributed a single dollar but is happy to collect road tax and fuel tax to misappropriate elsewhere.
Yes better the Japanese who strongly believe in quality workmanship than some other touch and go guys who will only make things worse.
The Chinks also believe in quality but if you want to cut corners like at KKIA where this thief Chitotela reduced the bill of quality so they can pocket the excess they are flexible.
Same river but longer bridge. Whats the catch here? Is the Luangwa river widening? What I expected someone to say (and not chitotela since he has issues with ACC) is that the bridge will now be free flowing to traffic and not the current ‘one vehicle at a time.”
Thank you very much Japan for this grant also. Zambian Engineers could hopefully have done the job, but baliye ndalama to give us a grant.
Are you not ashamed? 50 years old still being spoonfed…This Luangwa bridge could have collapsed as well but only saved by another handout…no Zambian Engineers could not have built this; as its Japaneses’ taxpayers money which the Japs have to account for to their people every cent …how is a Japanese politician going to explain to their people in Parliament that the sub-contract was handed to Chitotela’s construction company that has no machinery and no staff and was only formed in 2016.
The very fact that he is still in office explains ….what is wrong with GRZ construction projects.
This thief is still working? I will punish ka Lungu in 2021
Chitotela is a chief like Lungu. Lungu knew putting moving AMT as infrastructure minister to steal to the bone. Any normal person would have relieved uyu pompwe munshibila insala
Lungu after leaving office will go through the most painful time and the end will bitter pill to swallow. These thiefs have no shame like drug war lords
Bridges still being built by our ”all-weather” friends five decades after independence?
Why then did we chase Wenshiki? Shame on us.
@Chalo Nkhanza. Maybe our fathers, mother, and grandfathers/mothers only fought for political independence not economic independence.
Kabolala in charge .Whatever he says does not make sense at all now . Lungu has completely lost it on this one unless he is telling the nation to F””ck off because they are enjoying Chinese Kaloba with him.
I feel very sorry for Chitotela, especially when I look at what has remained of the mighty Fred Mmembe, Guy Lindsay Scott, etc. Edgar knows how to fix people, Chitotela will go to the gallows driving his Ministrial vehicle thinking Edgar is with him. It’s the beginning of the end of the Luapula United, who’s next?
Just remember this when that anti- corruption day comes this year in November where Lazy Lungu reads the selfsame speech every year about fighting corruption
It is because of corrupt theives like this chiti that Zambian engineers can not be trusted to build a bridge , 50 + years after independence …..hell they can’t even fix blockages draniges or fix the flooding in some parts of Lusaka…
The chap is still talking. Should be in jail or Lungu playing his cards on him as luapula boy?
I am not hearing anything from you , technically you are not in government. You are supposed to be home and going for your trial from home. There is nothing you have said here, because my ears are closed to you
But you are paying him at the moment because his boss is too weak and corrupt …lacks integrity to fire him!!
Thief, Thief, Thief, Kabolala, kabolala, pompwe, pompwe chitotela
Comments are closed.