Sunday, June 22, 2025

President Banda orders OVP to assess all major road to avoid disasters

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rupiah_banda_answering_questionsPresident, Rupiah Banda, has directed the office of the vice president to carry out assessments on all major roads in an effort to prevent disasters due to heavy rains.

President Banda said government is ready to respond to emergencies that may arise from the continued heavy rains in the country.

The President was speaking after undertaking an on the spot check of the portion of the Chirundu-Lusaka Road, which collapsed due to rains.

Mr Banda said government would take all precautionary measures on all roads and bridges to ensure that delicate situations like that of the Chirundu-Lusaka Road are dealt with to avoid disaster.

And the President has directed the ministry of works and supply to look into the possibility of providing food aid and other logistics to motorists, mostly truck drivers and their passengers, who are still stranded at the site.

He commended Sable Contractors for quickly working hard to ensure that the road that connects Zambia to the rest of Southern Africa is re-connected before permanent works are done.

The President was accompanied Works and Supply Minister, Mike Mulongoti, State House Analyst for Press and Public Relations and other senior government officials.

ZANISJT/JT/ENDS/SJK

44 COMMENTS

    • Now he is working! But I hope someone will follow the instruction to the letter. I have no faith in engineers at the Roads dept. until I see proper asphalting of Zambian roads.When I went to Zambia in Chiluba’s days, Zambians were excited about the new road works like Kitwe-Ndola road etc. I was not impressed. Major roads without shoulders and drainage were bound to deteriorate very quickly as water undermines them. I am not an engineer but it is common sense to me. And that is exactly why they have potholes every 6 months when they should be guaranteed for 10 years!

    • Observer naiwe, naturally the president is dull looking, so a multi- purple shirt and solid purple tie gives him some light…just an observation lol!

    • he needs to power-dress. a white shirt is enuff to brighten the dullness. we know its rain season but those rainbow colours scream anything but ‘chief executive’…he needs to get a real wardrobe consultant.

    • Njinga Yobweleka, I borrowed my name from RB!! During the N’cwala ceremony , he told Chipata residents on arrival at airport that: “Bafuna kumipoka chintu chanu”, meaning some people want to take away the Presidency from Eastern Province… I think he was referring to the attacks by the Post…

    • It is office of VEEP not Ministry of works and Supply, though office of VEEP may use and normally will Works and Supply to carry out risk assessment for disaster prone areas in the country. Remember that disaster issues fall under the office of the VEEP, and they are there not only to react to disaster after it has hit but to be proactive. Therefore they cut across all ministries with regard to disaster issues.

    • Awe sure, wakamba mushe iwe.. palibe zabwino pa dziko lapansi. Ati shuwa avaleko bwino ninshi alakhwa, avale uyipa ati alakhwa, kaya mwandi…

  1. Imwe bantu sure! RB akavala ma suit yo saggin’ga, ati awe! Manje atilamo pink tie na black suit, ati awe! What do you want him to do kanshi? Alefwala track suit kunchito?

  2. PRESS CLIPPING:

    RB: ..to this effect i have ordered the OVP to assess all major roads to avoid further disasters in the country.

    Reporter: Your Excellency, how do you hope your directive will mitigate such disasters?

    RB: I dont know. But i would like to thank the people of Zambia for electing me as their President during the last elections. The legacy will continue.

  3. Chabamba Kanyama was yesterday demeaning us bloggers at LT on national television as being time wasters and under achievers. I guess he considers watching him on TV present data we already know time well spent. Make no mistake, I enjoy his articles in the Post. They’re very insightful. But his live presentations are boring, unskillful and above all irritating. So CK mind your own business OK.

  4. hey guys who can make a better Science and Tech Minister:
    1. Prof. Chirwa
    2. Peter Daka
    Correct answer will carry a reward

    • CSHARP, how would anyone know? I know professor Chirwa is a man of high reputation here abroad. But, this is because the systems here are favourable. Put him in Zambia as a minister sciene & technology, I can assure u he wont perform. We need to deal with system in ZAmbia first to ensure an enabling environment for skilled people to be innvative. Put highly ambitious politicians in place to formulate corrective policies for industrial development and modernisation the Chirwas will perform miracles. Short of that it will be a circus.

  5. Thought our infrastructure is routinely checked. Reacting to crisis as usual? When will this government ever be proactive.

  6. So ba Viipi has to be woken up to his duties! Perhaps his mind will move away from discussing people to discussing problems & solutions in the country. I personally prefer the idea of having a technocrat (doer) for VP.

  7. 15. CSHARP
    Now that Nyama Soya is president, suddenly “bana ba kumawa” are the cleverest Scientists in the nation, also eargerest ones to unite all my Ngoni people in Southern Africa. This mentality stinks more than Chiluba’s backside!

  8. gypt Air is to introduce four direct flights per week between Cairo and Lusaka starting in June this year to promote tourism between Egypt and Zambia.

    Ministry of Tourism, Public Relations Officer, Bwalya Nondo, says the flights are designed to increase the number of Egytian tourist visiting Zambia.

    Mr. Nondo said this was disclosed by Egyptian Ambassador to Zambia, Sherif Kamal Shaheen when he called on Tourism Minister, Catherine Namugala.

    The envoy also said Egypt would like to partner with Zambia to turn Kasaba-Bay, on lake Tanganyika, into a world class tourism resort.

    Mrs. Namugala described the development as one that will contribute to the development of tourism in…

  9. How do we make this country clean? If you have only one tarred road in a town and the rest are dusty roads, you’ll have a lot of dirty on the tarred stretch. In the rainy season especially, vehicles from the muddy roads will always soil up the tarred road. Go to Kabwe and see how the good sections look dirty and pathetic because someone chose which roads to tar and which ones to fill up with gravel. You cant go to Shoprite now, forget about Tita Cash or MTN… And you are making a fuss about the washed road to Chirundu? They never inspected coz they knew no one lives there. If they can neglect the ones in town where people are plenty, how about one where the people just pass thru. They…

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