Lusaka City Council has permitted Shumeite Investment Limited to resume construction works on Kalundu Mall on Plot number 5477 in Kalundu.
This is contrary to an article in Daily Nation of Monday 24th June 2019 which suggested that the investor had defied court and resumed construction works.
According to the Daily Nation the Lusaka City Council (LCC) is playing cat and mouse games over the approval of the Kalundu Mall Project as it has failed to produce documentation pertaining to the same. Area councillor Douglas Tembo charged that the LCC had since Monday failed to avail the project approval letter as demanded by the residents thereby creating threats of a possible showdown between the people and the Chinese developer Shumeite Investment.
According to the article the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) directed that Shumeite Investment obtains a consent from the immediate neighbours on the development before proceeding with the project.But one of the immediate neighbours, disclosed that the company had resumed work on the project without consulting any of the immediate neighbours as directed by ZEMA.
“Even if there was no court ruling, how could these people resume construction works without meeting the ZEMA conditions? Who allowed them to continue building when there is a court ruling stopping them from doing so? Who, at the council, is lying to them?” Mr. Mulenga wondered.
However, the Council in the letter to the developer dated 17th June, 2019 permitted the resumption of construction works. The letter lifted the enforcement notice of 6th June, 2017 following a court ruling.
“Please be notified that the enforcement notice of 6th June 2017 has been lifted,” the letter read in part further setting out some conditions to be followed during construction works.
Some of the conditions were that the developer needed to engage Council building inspectors to be inspecting works, no works on Sundays and public holidays and that the plan should always available on site.
Others were that the developer needed to suppress dust and control noise, among other building regulations.
George Sichimba, Council Public Relations Manager said the article in the Daily Nation headlined “Chinese firm defies court, resumes Kalundu mall works” was not balanced because it lacked the input from LCC which has been handling the matter.
Mr. Sichimba has since appealed to Kalundu residents and the media to get facts from the Council about the project.
In a statement issued to the Media, Mr. Sichimba said it is important that all residents of Lusaka support the urban renew agenda which the city has embarked on.
Some trib.als at the Council, in league with PF cadres probably? Otherwise why didn’t they simply announce publicly that they have given consent to proceed with construction?
Kalundu residents should organise themselves and stage a sit in on the roads leading to the mall. They can even rent a crowd from Ngombe and Unza. Have some posters in Mandarin
What are the grounds for opposing the Kalundu Mall? I thought Lusaka City Council has adopted a policy of mixed-use development which allows for having commercial and residential developments within the same neighborhood. I have seen similar developments coming up in the Rhodes Park area without anyone raising objections. There is even a multi-story hotel along Kabulonga Road in my neighborhood and all of us in the area have welcomed the development! I need to be educated on the grounds for the opposition to the Kalundu Mall.
Ba Lusaka Times, we know you have no reporters on the ground and always depend on press statements and that is the reason why your article is half copy and paste information from the Daily Nation newspaper but learn to be professional for one. Did the council show you the letter they are talking about?
Do you have a High Court ruling of April 24, 2019? Did you read it yourselves or you only relied on the information given to you by George? What did it say about the development? In your feeble minds, does the council have the authority to overturn a High Court judgement? After the Chinese were given 28 days to appeal, did they appeal?
Lean to get facts other than playing PR for a corrupt council. The Chinese illegality started long before the same George you are quoting today joined…
Someone just thumbed me down without any credible response to my question. This is precisely what is wrong with Zambians in this country! Other than one just referring to ” Chinese illegality”, I still need to understand the underlying reasons for opposing this construction in Kalundu. What, for example, is ZEMA’s position on this score? Can someone with any vestige of intelligence list and enumerate to me why it is so wrong to have this structure in Kalundu?
It could be that the residents don’t approve of the Mall but the city council is acting as if they have. The Urban renewal agenda may not have been agreed upon by all residents. If people near the site don’t want the ensuing noise from the mall they can object and stop the construction. A mall could affect their property value negatively.
A ROGUE COUNTRY IS A COUNTRY THAT HAS LAWS ON PAPER WHICH ITS LEADERS DO NOT UPHOLD IN REALITY. THIS IS THE DIRECTION ZAMBIA IS NOW HEADING. IF MONEY IS INVOLVED A ZAMBIAN CITIZEN CAN EVEN BE THROWN ON THE RUBBISH HEAP BY THE COUNCIL.