Friday, March 29, 2024

Government to source for funds to complete Kafulafuta Water Dam – President Lungu

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President Edgar Lungu has toured the US$449 million Kafulafuta Water Supply System Project whose works have reached 86 percent complete.

President Lungu said the Ministry of Finance through the treasury will source for money to complete the remaining 16 percent of the works so that people can start realising benefits from the project.

Speaking during the briefing, President Lungu said he brought along the Minister of Finance Bwalya Ng’andu to the project so that he can assess what is required to finish the project.

“I brought along my Minister of Finance here so that he can see for himself what is required to complete this project. I know he has been busy with the national budget but I wanted him here so that as they plan, they should also know what is needed for this particular project and others… I have no comments because my Minister is here already to provide the solution,” President Lungu said.

The President said government wants the project to be completed so that the community in the catchment districts can be served better.

The Head of State took a conducted tour of the dam, climbing up to the top of the dam embankment to see the aerial view of the entire project site.

He said the project should also benefit people in the project area in Masaiti beside the intended areas in the four districts.

The project is aimed at improving water supply in Ndola, Luanshya, Mpongwe and Masaiti Districts, targeting 678, 800 beneficiaries.

The water supply system project will see about 160, 000 cubic meters of water extracted from the 125 million cubic meter dam every day to supply the four towns.

Speaking in the same briefing Minister of Finance Bwalya Ng’andu said government will prioritise funding water projects that have reached advanced levels.

Dr Ng’andu said provision of water to the people is very importance hence the resolve by government to consider completing all the water projects that needs to be completed.

“Water is very important, I think it’s next to air. We all need water. There a number of water project going on but will prioritise projects that have advanced,” Dr Ng’andu said.

The Minister said he was invited to the Kafulafuta Dam project by the President so that he can get first-hand information in order to see how resources can be sourced to finish the remaining 16 percent.

Meanwhile Kafubu Water and Sanitation Managing Director Athanasius Mwaba said the remaining 16 per cent of the project is very important because it’s the final phase which will see the supply of water to the project beneficiaries.

Engineer Mwaba said failure to complete the project on time will be a loss to government as the infrastructure can be vandalised.

He said people are eager to see the project completed so that they can been connected to the water supply system.

He said the project will have a huge number of new connections in Dola hill and Bwana Mukubwa area where people are currently not connected to the water supply system.

He said the remaining 16 months required about US$11 million before the works stopped saying the amounts has now escalated to US$26 million.

He disclosed that further delays will result in the amount to be paid to the contractors to increase because of penalties.

The water project which is meant to increase water supply hours from an average of 18 hours to 24 hours per day was launched by President Lungu in September 2018.

Once complete, the project will increase Kafubu Water Supply and Sanitation Company’s customer base from 504, 000 to 678, 800 and further improve the Utility’s revenue base.

Major works on the project involves the construction of a 125 million cubic meter Kafulafuta Multi – Purpose Dam and intake tower which jas almost been completed while the transmission main from the intake to midway pump station has been completed.

While in Masaiti District the President also met Chieftainess Malembeka of the Lamba speaking people.

The Kafulafuta Water Supply System Project, which is being undertaken by China National Complete Engineering Corporation has employed more than 1, 000 people and is originally expected to be complete by April, 2022.

16 COMMENTS

  1. Issue based campaign not insulting opponents and disrespecting the chief whose people you want votes from. Who are HH’s advisers?

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  2. So WHERE HAS THE MONEY GONE WHICH WAS INITIALLY EARMARKED FOR THE PROJECT??Why fail to complete it as planned and start dragging the Minister there,a project that properly planned with finances arranged,stalling towards its end? SOME ONE HAS STOLEN HERE!!

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  3. My boss and the boss of Zambia is very hardworking. Even in the midst of landmark victory in yesterday’s by election he is still working. Great role model.

    The upnd leadership can learn from his humility rather than insulting during campaigns. The boy hh thought he was my former boss ba sata. Imwe I have not slept all night. I have even lost my voice celebrating. Commiserations to the upnd camp. Hope they accept these results. We thank alm our supporters and every one who participated including the upnd. This is the nature of democracy.

    As for now the party continues. Spaka tarino and the rest please do not feel disheartened. Do not hide away from commenting just because you have lost. Filachitika. I am sure akapita ku new kasama

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  4. the minister of finance had to be dragged along by the president to this? All along the finance department had not been aware that the funds are running short? Who did project management here?
    Did the minister not bring this to the attention of the president before?
    The amount of money spent campaigning could have easily gone toward such things.

  5. The Minister of Finance must find the money to complete the dam project?PF has incumbered Zambians with debt to build white elephants. There are so many magnificent structures around which are non functional.I saw a non operational hospital as large as Ndola Central Hospital in a rural area in Petauke.You get a sense that projects are not started to maximize utility and returns but for irresponsible election campaigns

  6. They need to beg for donner aid as Zambian tax payers money is diverted to pay of thugs to attack citizens and bribe voters….

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  7. The Minister of Finance must find the money to complete the dam.PF has incumbered Zambians with debt to build white elephants. They have built magnificent structures dotted around which are none functional.I saw a nonfunctional hospital as large as Ndola Central Hospital in a rural area in Petauke.There are similar structure in the most unlikely places.You get a sense that projects are not started to maximize utility and returns but for purposes of irresponsible and costly election campaigns

  8. With that sort of money such a project would have finished become operational by now . This is the reason we ended up buying fire tenders for 0ne million dollars each and resulted in Mansions in Swaziland and dotted around State house .

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