Friday, March 29, 2024

Charles Milupi defends the $3.7 billion PPP deal with Southern Africa Business Development Forum

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Minister of Infrastructure, Housing, and Urban Development Charles Milupi has clarified that the Public-Private Partnership agreement with the Southern Africa Business Development Forum is not only for the construction of roads but other projects.

Mr. Milupi said that the agreement will also revamp, develop and industrialize the existing 93 resettlement schemes and develop new ones countrywide and that for each scheme, an off-grid power will be set up to facilitate irrigation.

Mr Milupi further said that the agreement includes design, building, and or rehabilitation of approximately 1 400 kilometers of roads to international bituminous standards.

Mr Milupi said it is, however, surprising that the people, who were part of the agreement that was signed by former Vice President Inonge Wina on August 10th, 2021, and approved by then Minister of Justice Given Lubinda, are misleading people on social media.

He said it is also shocking that former Zambian High Commissioner to South Africa Emmanuel Mwamba, who facilitated engagements with the government and the investor, is giving misleading information against the agreement on social media.

Mr. Milupi said the financial documents are yet to be concluded and when it is done, it shall constitute financial closure.

Milupi said that the Road Development Agency (RDA) has been tasked to review the cost for each road link and ensure the cost reasonableness analysis is conducted to bring the estimated project costs to an acceptable value.

Mr. Milupi said the RDA has been asked to do so because the new dawn government did not have any objection to proceeding with the agreement provided it is done at the correct price, time, and quality.

Speaking at the same Media Briefing in Lusaka today Minister of Information and Media Chushi Kasanda called for correct use of social media platforms and not to misinform the public.

Ms. Kasanda said the government will accept criticism but it should be constructively done.

She said people need to be responsible and give out information that is going to build and develop the country.

And the Minister of Information and Media posted the following statement on her Facebook page

Today we took time to clarify the Concession Agreement for the development of the Western Corridor Trade facilitation route. The Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Hon. Charles Milupi emphasized that, contrary to the misrepresentation of facts:

  1. The agreement was signed on 10th August 2021 between the Government of the Republic of Zambia, under the Patriotic Front (PF) administration, and the Southern Africa Business Development Forum (SABDF).
  2. The New Dawn administration, having reviewed the terms and conditions as well as calculated the benefits, gave no objection to the project being implemented.
  3. The ‘No objection’ to proceed by the New Dawn administration is premised on condition that the project is done at the correct price, time and quality.
  4. Engineers from the Government side and the Concessionaires are currently in the field carrying out assessments that will inform the expected cost of the project.
  5. The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with SABDF is not only for the construction of roads but other projects such as revamping, developing and industrializing the existing 93 resettlement schemes and developing new ones countrywide.
  6. Some of the benefits of the proposed project include job creation, empowerment of Local Contractors, among others.

I would like to assure the nation that the new dawn administration is a transparent government.
I appeal to journalists and the public at large not to hesitate to engage the Ministry to clarify falsehoods being peddled online.Thank you and God bless our country Zambia.

31 COMMENTS

  1. The two ministers have not responded to the concern raised that the pricing of the roads is too high apart from shifting the responsibility to RDA. I thought the right price should have been arrived at before the Infrastructure Minister Hon. Milupi went public about the project. The ministers have also not responded to the issue of the capacity of the name NGO to carry out the works. There was need to respond to the concerns raised that the organization may not be in a position to carry out the works by pointing to the track record that the organization previously has in undertaking works of a similar nature whether in South Africa or outside that country. Otherwise, Ministers Milupi and Chushi Kasanda have not responded to the concerns raised satisfatorily. Democracy demands open…

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  2. Southern Africa Business Development Forum and the concessionaire – Nkhulu Zambia Limited – don’t seem to exist. A Google search reveals that an organization bearing the same name, and domiciled in South Africa, was de-registered in that country. Can the Minister shed light on this?

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  3. The minister is not responding to the concern of deregistration of this organisation. He is also sounding like PF when they said the $1.2 billion Lusaka- Ndola dual carriageway would include hotels on the way in order to justify the cost.

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  4. Jigga Kayama Simangulungwa (formerly Corruption scandals: 48 Houses Social Security Cash Luxury Presidential Jet Ambulances Fire Trucks Mukula Trees Ndola-Lusaka Rd Malawi Maizegate Fuelgate Swaziland landgate Zesco Loans Honeybee) Jigga Kayama Simangulungwa (formerly Corruption scandals: 48 Houses Social Security Cash Luxury Presidential Jet Ambulances Fire Trucks Mukula Trees Ndola-Lusaka Rd Malawi Maizegate Fuelgate Swaziland landgate Zesco Loans Honeybee)

    SABDF has not re-registered… show us the evidence it has been de-registered, including why. Don’t fall for fake news from the PF syc0phants. Now it turns out the project was actually approved by PF Given Lubinda and it was negotiated by Emmanuel Mwamba… go figure, he is pretending he doesn’t even know about SABDF.
    I think Milupi and the UPND shouldn’t have to respond to every fake news out there. Yes be transparent; explain the details but don’t govern by social media. In fact stop using social media to announce government policy… use official channels like govt website; news media. Social media should only to reach out to the wider audience, while providing reference and link to official platforms.

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  5. Jigga Kayama Simangulungwa (formerly Corruption scandals: 48 Houses Social Security Cash Luxury Presidential Jet Ambulances Fire Trucks Mukula Trees Ndola-Lusaka Rd Malawi Maizegate Fuelgate Swaziland landgate Zesco Loans Honeybee) Jigga Kayama Simangulungwa (formerly Corruption scandals: 48 Houses Social Security Cash Luxury Presidential Jet Ambulances Fire Trucks Mukula Trees Ndola-Lusaka Rd Malawi Maizegate Fuelgate Swaziland landgate Zesco Loans Honeybee)

    Sorry meant to say: “SABDF has not been de-registered…”

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  6. All these deals they have decided to undertake from PF regime including the Zambian Airways will comeback to bite them ..they should have pulled the plug on all them. The moment you continue with them and signed them off it becomes your baby simple as that!!

  7. E/D Milupi, when you started politics, most of us thought you wanted to serve the Zambian people. Listen to what people are saying. A simple check online on Southern Africa Business Development Forum, this company looks fishy or suspicious. Just because the former PF VP and Hon Mwamba signed or started the deal does not make this a good deal. Listen to what people are saying and not what you want. President HH always says you’re there to serve the Zambian people.

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  8. What you don’t know is that you are looking on wrong side of the coin please be serious and see where everything is coming from , the mining royalties being suspended by HH and his team the road infrastructure in the three provinces given to an NGO these characters have an interest in those contracts but you keep on talking about it, just come to terms with this government .

  9. Spaka – Mwamba has no shame he can deny it even if he knew…did you not hear on radio justifying helping PF media team whilst he was a civil servant and in the embassy!!

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  10. HH will pull the plug on this dodgy deal.

    This minister is dull, from his ever shifting statements. Now he is telling us there is a dyonko in this deal.

    This deal is as rotten as the PF. We did not vote for this n0nsense.

    Bally should fix this mess now. Please appoint capable ministers, not this lazy tired old man that won’t even do his homework on expired unregistered companies.

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  11. I think Mr Milupi is stretching the truth. Mr Mwamba left South Africa for Ethopia some 3 years ago. When was the contract signed and in what capacity did Mr Mwamba sign the contract? High commissioner Mwamba in South Africa or Ambassador Mwamba in Ethopia. Mr Milupi lies have short legs and 2026 is not far away.

  12. Oh! oh! so when things hot up or become bad they become PFs baby when things are going well they are UPND baby what a childish political party. This is the reason why someone claimed success for the 10 health centres in the northern province and others. They dod not what to say It was implemented during PFs rule. What a political party with childish politics.

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  13. If something sounds too good to be true,it probably is they teach in risk management. This one sounds too good to be true. Just some simple questions; forget the NGO’s name, who are the natural persons behind it? What financial capacity do they hv and where’s evidence of that financial capacity? When did they go round the country to identify the suitable places? Which country are they citizens of? Where else hv they done something similar?

  14. This agreement was even covered by ZNBC. Visit SABDF website. Go to their news page and read the agreement as signed by Inonge Wina. She even described it as transformative. The 93 resettlement schemes and border facilities are all covered. Ba 1.8 go get an education. It is now free.

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  15. This agreement was even covered by ZNBC. Visit SABDF website. Go to their news page and read the agreement as signed by Inonge Wina. She even described it as transformative. The 93 resettlement schemes and border facilities are all covered. Ba 1.8 go get an education. It is now free.

  16. HON MILUPI, LEARN FROM WHAT IS HAPPENING TO SOME PF MEMBERS. 5 YEARS IS NO A LONG TIME, AND WHO KNOWS THE UPND MAY NOT NEED THE USELESS ALLIANCE BY THEN AND YOU WILL HAVE TO ANSWER FOR WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO DO

  17. HH said PF were inflating road construction costs. Please people be sincere and honest. It’s a virtue to call a black t-shirt, black regardless of who is wearing it. When PF wore this road contracts t-shirt it was called corruption. How can HH wear a t-shirt that is smelling PF’s sweat? The answer is simple. He likes it and his team are enjoying it.

  18. These under5 chaps…are heartless, selfish and they don’t care about Zambians.. Milupi must be ashamed of himself… People….. hichilema is a hypocrite and he is quiet no shame…

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