Government in Partnership with Kansanshi Mine PLC has officially flagged off the construction and upgrade of the 4.8-kilometre Mitec Boom Gate Road into a dual carriageway in Solwezi District.
Speaking during the flag off, North-Western Province Minister Robert Lihefu said the upgrade of the road clearly shows the government is working with investors to foster development.
Mr Lihefu said investing in road infrastructure and connectivity was among the National development agenda that the government through President Hakainde Hichilema was implementing.
He explained that a good road network was essential in accelerating development in a fast-growing District like Solwezi.
Mr Lihefu noted that the Mitec Boom Gate Road was among the key roads in the district adding that it was a business corridor that led not only to Kansanshi Mine but also to other businesses.
“We heard your cry and today we are here to address the challenges you were facing due to the congestion on the road,”Mr Lihefu noted.
He expressed confidence that the upgrade of the road will help reduce the cost of doing business adding that people will now be able to move from one point to another smoothly without challenges.
And Kansanshi Mine PLC Assistant General Manager Axel Kottgen revealed that the mine was committing K52.5 million towards the construction of the road.
Mr Kottgen explained that the partnership to upgrade the road was through a memorandum of understanding between the mine and the government through Solwezi Municipal Council.
He said the road works demonstrated a strong partnership through a Public-Private Partnership which aims to strengthen local development.
Mr Kottgen assured Solwezi residents and other stakeholders of quality road works that will stand the test of time.
“We acknowledge the concerns about the quality of the dual carriageway. The road will be durable and withstand heavy traffic according to specifications,” he stated.
Solwezi Central Member of Parliament Stafford Mulusa appealed to Solwezi residents to exercise patience during the construction of the road and urged them to adhere to road signage for the smooth flow of traffic.
Solwezi Mayor Remmy Kalepa commended Kansanshi Mine for their continued support through partnerships which were aimed at taking development closer to the people.
Meanwhile, Ephraim Simukoko a Solwezi resident and businessman has thanked Kansanshi and the government for addressing the challenges people faced due to the poor state of the road.
Mr Simukoko said the coming of a dual carriageway will reduce transport costs caused by congestion.
He called on motorists to exercise patience on the road to allow the mine to execute their works effectively.
Awesome, it would be interesting to see what is in the MOU. Hopefully they are not being exempted from paying taxes for multiple years for this.
Our technocrats should give us perspectives.
What did we offer the mining companies that constructed the copperbelt in Northern Rhodesia?