President Hakainde Hichilema yesterday officially launched the construction works of the Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway, spanning 327 kilometers and also including the Fisenge-Masangano stretch.The president highlighted the project’s cost-effectiveness, made possible through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model,which aims to optimize government resources while delivering quality infrastructure.
“Zambia needs visionary leadership that promotes peace and stability, imagine this road was supposed to be done at over US$2 billion but now we will do this at only US$650 million and will save over US$1.2 million,” President Hichilema said.
The Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway is set to be a game-changer in promoting safer travel, reducing commute times, and bolstering connectivity between key economic centers. President Hichilema emphasized the importance of this infrastructure project, not only for Zambia but also as a critical transit route to neighboring countries, promising improved trade and investment opportunities.Addressing concerns about road safety and the economic impact of delays caused by the current infrastructure’s limitations, President Hichilema emphasized the urgent need for modernization to prevent further loss of lives and boost business efficiency.
“This road has killed a lot of people, this is why we need to save lives by reducing fatalities and the only way the government can respond is through building this road, this road has slowed down business because it’s narrow,” he noted.
President Hichilema, pledged government’s continued resolve to foster sustainable development through improved infrastructure for the benefit of the local community. President Hichilema also disclosed that in a few weeks time Zambia, Tanzania and China will conclude and sign an agreement on the overhaul of the TAZARA railway line.
In a show of international cooperation, the Chinese government pledged support for Zambia’s infrastructure modernization program, further strengthening bilateral relations between the two nations.Minister Consular at the Chinese Embassy in Zambia Wang Sheng explained that the Chinese government and Zambia have continued to share valuable relations in various sectors. Meanwhile, the House of Chiefs Chairperson, Chief Nkambo, reiterated the traditional leadership’s commitment to supporting the government’s development agenda.
As construction commences on this transformative project, President Hichilema called on citizens to cooperate with developers and reiterated his administration’s vision for a prosperous Zambia built on visionary leadership and sustainable development initiatives.
He should have said that this is not UPND’s project but we have managed to reduce the cost of construction by removing some unnecessary structures and increased the interest rates and paying back time and that at the end of 25 years, this road may belong to us Zambians.
It was never a pf project and it will never be a UPND project. It’s a project for the people of Zambia.
What is “the Fisenge-Masangano stretch?”
Please lord, don’t ever create Zambians ever again…
This man has kept on lying without shame. We will get a final cost once the Chinese contractor operates the toll plaza for 30 years. I can put my money on it this project will exceed $2.5billion.
The upnd is govt and have the mandate from Zambians to run their affairs..
Time should come when we stop this nonsense n realize this road will be for all Zambians regardless of party affiliation
It is all about the nation’s saviour UPND kikikiki, why not just commission the project without self-praise.. they are so desperate & pipo are not fools anymore. I pray the project will be tops not cheaply done and along the months to come starts to crumble
It is all about the nation’s saviour UPND kikikiki, why not just commission the project without self-praise.. they are so desperate & pipo are not fools anymore.
You LT sucks, you are gate keepers for these goons
It is government project and NOT any other Political Party. Political Parties are agents of national development. There is no Political Party that is going to fund Government works of national development. As citizens of Zambia we must be objective in our thinking. This is our ZAMBIA, our country, our sleeping place, our everything. Some of us lost our parents in the liberation of our country, Zambia and it is our earnest duty, even to those who did not lose their parents to see that our Zambia is developed us we want her to be. ONE ZAMBIA! ONE NATION!
Why is this being down voted?
Why not just commission the project without self-praise.. they are so desperate & pipo are not fools anymore.
These are unexposed chaps who do NOT know anything about governance… lack of exposure to modern developed nations is dangerous. It takes you to live in a developed nation to understand that infrastructure development will brings about prosperity to a nation. All our politicians have NEVER lived in developed nations to understand this.. exposure is the way to go.
Perhaps he should commission Mfuwe airport when it is refurbished.
I live in South Africa. I have never seen the President commissioning any roads here. I’m sure it would take up all his time cos there are many roads. The president would have been commissioning one or two everyday-kikikikikiki
Look at the God given gift to our nation Mr. Sata, he lived worked in the UK & just see what he did in KK’s rule in Lusaka, he brought about fly-over bridges while he was just a mayor, look at the legacy he left when he was a president.. Exposure, some of have been in diaspora for more than 20 years & we know whats up. Get exposed you freaks.
He is the genesis of tribalism in Zambia. It was not an Issue before PF
2 Billion to 650Million
around a 1.4 Billion discount/ Reduction
Can any business minded person believe this ??
Tikki, this is showing you how much your PF thieves would have stolen. Thats why those of you who entertain Lungu and/or PF need to have your heads examined. Every PF road or project you see in Zambia was probably raped by that margin. The math: $2 billion minus PF=$1.4 billion savings.
It is not a discount/reduction. They have just found a contractor who is going to do it at that price. The previous government was exaggerating prices because they were having their own shares in the business. They were telling contractor write this price and we will share the difference.
Just wondering what magic they used
Where did this father Christmas contractor come from.
Bufi
What does it cost to build a tar road in South Africa? According to recent estimates, it costs R40 million to construct just one kilometre of single-carriageway road. It takes around 45 days. Even resurfacing an existing thoroughfare has a hefty price tag of around R2 million per kilometre.
Lies and lies again this man is for ever in campaign mode while denying his opponents from campaigning. He has a forked tongue twisting facts all the time. He must just say he has changed the scope of works for the road that is all and that is why the price has come down, lying will not help anyone. But then you take pensioners money and give it to a constructor and let the contractor collect the revenues from the toll fees for 25 years.
Expect excuses when the real costs come out
And here we go again…..just cooking up numbers for his gullible praise singers….NOW I BELIEVE THAT HH IS A PATHOLOGICAL LIAR ……650 from 2 billion and his gullible praise singers Lumbani Madoda will start jumping up and down just like they were fooled by the so called debt structuring deal and Fake mining deals with Arabs…..
With demagogue leaders like HH….Zambia will never develop
Now I know why the USA is a developed country….they’re is accountability here in the USA…in Zambia too much lies by our Politicians and HH tops them all when it comes to lies and deceiving……HH knows that majority of his gullible praise singers are dull no wonder he lies 24/7…..
Highways in the USA are well maintained and repairs are done every year….road markings…potholes etc. .but in Zambia we just build roads with zero maintenance until they become all gravel….money collected from tolls is looted and shared among Politicians
I agree zero maintenance and corruption
NOW how does one find a solution I cant see one
Take Traffic and white line lunch money I doubt anyone will find a answer to that
In a way I agree because in the US even if they have a useless president like Donald Trump, the system wont crash. The law will keep functioning. It wont be twisted to lock up foes like Nakachinda etc
@ Tikki
Yes zero maintenance…..the problem is corruption and theft….billions are collected from tolls but where does the money go….???..and at the weigh bridge overloaded trucks just pay bribes….you can imagine the Lusaka Livingstone road no road marking…Chipata Lusaka road no road marking and its difficult to drive at night with reflecting road markers…but anyway its Zambia so the abnormal is considered normal
The cost of constructing the most expensive road in India (in the Ganges Delta) is $3m per km
Baane, lets thank the President for once he has done a right thing. Reducing the cost of construction from U$2 billion to U$650 is not a joke. U$1.35 would have been pocketed and built mansions everywhere. let’s thank HH for job well-done.
That’s what he says… when an audit is done something else may come out…. remember he’s said so many things which have turned out different.
@Yaks
HH is a big liar….probably the project is now costing 3 billion but they’ve come up with cooked figures to fool his gullible praise singers….HH is a big Bandit…..and we don’t have any mechanism to verify no wonder he can even say its going to cost 650 million from 2 billion…..doing it for praise singers like you
Hahahahahahahaha!
For this time only !!! I agree with Deja Vu
Some structures have been removed such as highway hotels and of course some of that”pocket fee”that would have enabled a cadre to start with 15000 zmk and end up a billionaire within two years or indeed that man who came from the compound and built an empire for him and his offspring in under seven years when he couldn’t even afford the candidate fee when he first run in the race to plot one.
Why were Highway Hotels originally lumped in the road project. Isn’t that a separate venture with independent entrepreneurs altogether?
PF roads were costing approximately $1.4-2million/km. The original plans had sidewalks/pedestrian paths, an extra 1+metre road overhang (for cyclists, and space for trucks to see how far they are from the edge), drainage, footbridges, continuous kerbs etc. PF reduced the size of roads to what we have in our cities, took off or narrowed walkways and drainage and created gaps in the kerbs BUT THE PRICES DIDN’T DROP! Where did the money go? The only exception to misappropriated road funds is in Chingola. If you want to see how a properly constructed road should look, go to Chingola. The MP who was Minister of Works and Supply at the time made sure his road funds were put to full proper use and not the sorry sight we see in Lusaka.
It is time that we who are in diaspora should think of going home to build our nation coz what we see there..mmmmmmm!!! Bukamushi bubi sana. Ubututu is NOT been academically lacking BUT having academic qualifications but lacking exposure to great nations, lifestyle & modern living period!!! The mind is opened when you have lived in a developed nation. NOT to born raised & lived in your nation, you will NOT see anything wrong coz what you see is the only thing you know. Go Ndola you will cry, look at Lusaka CBD you will only cry when you have lived in diaspora
Come quickly and stop crying from there.
if we try to estimate the cost for a 327-kilometer dual carriage road:
Developed Country Estimate
Lower Bound: 327 km * $2 million/km = $654 million
Upper Bound: 327 km * $10 million/km = $3.27 billion
Developing Country Estimate
Lower Bound: 327 km * $1 million/km = $327 million
Upper Bound: 327 km * $5 million/km = $1.635 billion
HH is right, it was over blown for a developing country, KUDOS Mr president for the Math.
Michilema : What is “the Fisenge-Masangano stretch?”
It is the 45-kilometre stretch of the Luanshya-Fisenge- Masangano (Luanshya near kafulafuta)
……..
Whether the final costs reaches the 2 billion PF quoted……..
The main advantage is Zambian money was borrowed within zambia and is being used. Interest payments circulate within zambia……..
Ita win win for zambia
………
Look at the tribal supremacists kicking themselves………
Not believing how much was being stolen by their brethren……….
The PF wage bill was massive, by the time they steal……then paying their kaponya cader thugs……..it ran into the billions.
We all know all those who can not accept a tonga as president……..
They all come from a certain region.
A one off payment was better than paying for 22yrs start thinking properly my what was your last grade in school? I feel pity for your level of thinking
Anthony ten
Pay for 22 years to who ?????
The money was borrowed from the pension fund in zambia, it is zambian money.
Your level of awareness is pathetic and underage.
@Spaka
Grow up….why everything is tribe…can’t you just have a normal argument or discussion without mentioning tribes…its mind-boggling that you’re in the diaspora and all you’re worried about is TRIBE…come on man….am from the Northern Province and am investing in the Southern Province and probably your nephews are working on my property
These are the people who when people from other tribes are not nearby say a lot of bad things about them. Why is he obsessed with tribal talk all the time especially when he’s no point to defend Upnd.
@ Anonymous; I was censored so I am posting again: Spaka is in his home village in Gwembe. With village boys like him the world revolves around tribe. When they meet you they ask “What is your tribe?” when you mention a tribe that isnt theirs, they immediately conclude you cant be a friend.
My roomie at UNZA who was in this third year Education and I was a fresher asked me if I could exchange my room. I.e. move to Zambezi to allow a fellow Tonga become his roomie. I refused. He kept singing that my Lumpenela friends made too much noise but they had now become deliberate cos I told them the story
We all know all those who can not accept a tonga as president……..
They all come from a certain region.
Now that the project has finally started let’s hope it will be completed in record time. Also they should have started from where there are bottlenecks that cause congestion such as 10 miles, kafulafuta, etc.
I still say Zesco will cripple this country and judging by reports nothing was mentioned in Kapiri
Every president leaves with some sort of legacy this I feel will be HH’s
He should be addressing the nation weekly on this matter
Interesting!
Why do the road edges on new Zambian roads start to crumble so quickly? Please discuss.
Yes nearly all Zambian roads quickly get washed away from the edges of course. What are we doing wrong? Where I grew up on the copperbelt I didnt see that phenomena although after a long time potholes took over because of non-maintenance. Engineers? What is the blunder we are making?
US$2 billion down to US$650 million thus saving Zambians over US$1.2 million. Lungu and his PF thugs were shameless thieves who deserved to be shot, organs harvested for transplant to deserving patients while their remaining carcasses are either cremated or fed to crocodiles of the Luangwa River.