Communication between Chipata and Lundazi Districts in Eastern Province has continued to gravely affected the two areas following the collapsed Chanyumbu bridge on the Lundazi /Chipata road.
Since the bridge was washed away at the weekend, transportation of people and their goods between the two towns has been affected with some concerned stakeholders saying the people’s livelihood will be affected negatively unless government intervenes.
However, Eastern Permanent Secretary Eularia Mwale who toured the affected bridge today said the damaged Bridge was as a result vandalism by the some people in the area.
Mrs. Mwale vandalizing bridges and bridges is criminal and endangers people’s lives and property.
She stated that as a result of vandalism on Chanyumbu bridge , among others, the smooth movement of people and goods especially between Chipata and Lundazi Districts have temporarily been affected.
Chanyumbu Bridge which is 92 kilometers from Chipata District collapsed in the early hours of Saturday and traffic was marooned near the bridge for over ten hours before the bridge was repaired by the local community.
The Provincial Permanent Secretary during her tour of the damaged Chanyumbu Bridge found Sable construction company workers busy doing repair works on the damaged bridge.
Mrs. Mwale who expressed satisfaction at the works done so far, said Sable Construction Company will in due course build a stronger bridge to last for a long period.
This is the second time that Chanyumbu bride has collapsed after a downpour, earlier in March this year the bridge collapsed cutting Lundazi and Chama districts from the rest of the province.
[ ZANIS ]
Well such stories of a bridge collapsing during the rain season are not new to some of us who have vividly followed the workmanship of the MMD govt on the roads in Zambia. Shoddy jobs are done on road construction because of poor supervision. I wonder whether those companies that have won tenders think that they are the one who understand road construction while others are left as spectactors hence cannot comment on shoddy works.