Transport, Works, Supply and Communication Minister Yamfwa Mukanga has launched the Lusaka 400 kilometers road project.

The L400 road project covers a stretch of about 408 kilometres and will improve the state of roads in the capital city.

Mr. Mukanga revealed this during the ground breaking ceremony in Lusaka.

He disclosed that AVIC Construction, the Chinese contractor engaged to undertake the works has commenced works which will be completed in 43 months.

Mr. Mukanga has disclosed that the entire road project will cost K1.89 Billion and create 500 jobs.

He said the scope of works will include widening some selected roads, construction of sidewalks and enhancing the drainage on the roads.

Some of the areas expected to be worked on include Kamwala South, Chilenje South, Avondale, Kabanana, Chalala, Kabwata Site and Service, Chazanga and Kamanga.

Others are Chinika Area, Bauleni, Northmead, Matero, Chawama, Lilanda, Chilulu, Ng’ombe, Kaunda Square, Kalingalinga and Mtendere among others.

Secretary to the Cabinet, Roland Msiska, says the improved conditions of service for civil servant call for dedication and hard work in return among workers.

Dr Msiska says govt has in the past two years increased salaries for civil servant to ensure that all workers earn decent salaries to meet their needs.

He noted that the civil service has now become more attractive because of the better conditions of service offered by the new govt, saying people in the private sector have begun to admire joining the civil service.

Speaking when he address heads of departments in Mansa and Samfya districts yesterday, Dr Msiska said govt has made reforms to the civil service to make it more efficient and to reduce the cost of running government.

He named the removal of transport pick-ups and the removal of administrative allowances which will be effected in September, this year, as some of the measures it has taken as a cost-saving measure.

He noted that the removal of transport pick-ups and introduction of transport allowance has benefited all civil servants and empowered them to buy their own vehicles.

He disclosed that the transport pick-ups only benefitted about 16,000 workers out of the over 126, 000 civil servants.

The Chief Civil Servant called for reflection among civil servants to see what each one has contributed as the country turns 50 next year.

Dr Msiska said the new govt has restored the dignity of its workers, adding that it was now time for workers to pay back by ensuring that they perform better and be innovative in their discharge of duties.

He said govt will continue making the civil service better by introducing reforms such as the social health insurance scheme, which he said would soon be effected, and many others.

He also took time to respond to questions from the heads of departments.

Meanwhile, Dr Msiska becomes the first Secretary to the Cabinet to visit Samfya and the newly created Lunga districts which is located on the wetlands of Lake Bangweuru.

Dr Msiska yesterday visited the hard-to-reach Lunga District and called on chief Kasomalunga who expressed gratitude to receive the chief civil servant.

The traditional leader assured Dr Msiska of his support to ensuring that the area receives development.

He was happy with the government’s development agenda for the new district which he said was never considered by the past administrations.

Dr Msiska later visited a clinic which only has one male officer manning the centre.

He advised the clinical officer to identify some villagers who could be trained as traditional birth attendants as the district waits for trained staff to be sent by govt.

He earlier toured the Mpanta mini solar power plant which supplies electricity to a sizeable community.

He suggested that the project be replicated to new districts, such as Lunga, which are not connected to the national grid.

Dr Msiska is in luapula Province on a familiarisation tour and to check on government projects.

ZANIS

Problems at Kawambwa Tea Company in Luapula province are expected persist as the Zimbabwean investor, Kumul Holdings, says it has no resources to resume production at the company.

And Secretary to the Cabinet, Roland Msiska, has pleaded with workers to give govt time to study the contract which the two parties entered into before taking action to avoid legal implications.

The workers fumed when they saw the investor in the meeting after years of his disappearance from the country following a backlog of debts in unpaid salaries to the employees.

The workers and management requested that the investor be ejected from the meeting and District Commissioner, Ivo Mpasa, wondered how the investor found himself in the meeting without being invited by either govt or the workers.

Secretary to the Cabinet, Roland Msiska, sympathised with the workers for having stayed without salaries for many years.

Dr Msiska said the problems of the tea company have come to the attention of govt but could not disclose the action it intends to take.

He commended the workers for keeping the company alive though without salaries.

Dr Msiska pledged to engage the Ministry of Commerce to strategise on how the tea company could be saved from demise.

Representative of the workers, Wellington Mwewa, lamented how the workers have suffered for the last ten years the company has been in the private hands following its privatisation by the former govt.

Mr Mwewa appealed to government to consider repossessing the firm and further recapitalise it so that it once again could start producing tea.

He stated that all the workers have resolved not to accept the Zimbabwean investor whom he described as an unfaithful investor.
Mr MWewa noted that it is evident that the investor has failed to commence production since taking over the company.

And in a separate meeting, the Zimbabwean investor confirmed that his company is struggling to raise funds to resume production, noting that it will take more than 18 months to start tea production.

Company Business Development Manager, Gilbert Marebe, said his company is fundraising to ensure that the tea company is revamped but noted that it will take time because the firm has lost a lot of money hence he could not give the Secretary to Cabinet a definite time frame.

Mr Marebe stated that he would contact the company headquarters in Harare before making commitment to revamping the tea company.

Dr Msiska is in Luapula Province on a familiarisation tour and to inspect some government developmental projects.

ZANIS

Central Province Permanent Secretary, Edwidge Mutale, yesterday refused to meet government heads of departments in Kapiri-Mposhi district because they reported late for work.

According to the programme, the Permanent Secretary was supposed to meet the district heads of departments at 08:15 hours but by 08:30 none of the workers had reported to the venue of the meeting, a situation that angered her.

Mrs Mutale who arrived in the district at 07:30hours paid a courtesy call on Kapiri-Mposhi District Commissioner, Beatrice Sikazwe at 08:00 hours but was shocked that when she went into the conference hall at the scheduled time there was no one.

She decided to wait for some time but was angered when by 8:45 hours only two heads of departments had shown up for the meeting.

She then cancelled the meeting and proceeded with her program on the tour of developmental projects, saying she was not going to wait for her subordinates because her office had effectively communicated on her visit to the district.

[pullquote]“No! No! No! I will not sit here and wait for my juniors, it is not right! This is really sad for government, I mean if the heads of departments are going to report for work at 09:00hours what time will their juniors report? DC, this must change! The public should not wait for civil servants, no! Civil servants must be in the office on time and wait for people not the other way round!” she explained.[/pullquote]

“No! No! No! I will not sit here and wait for my juniors, it is not right! This is really sad for government, I mean if the heads of departments are going to report for work at 09:00hours what time will their juniors report? DC, this must change! The public should not wait for civil servants, no! Civil servants must be in the office on time and wait for people not the other way round!” she explained.

But later, while she was at Kapiri-Mposhi District Hospital, the district heads of departments pleaded with her to meet them saying it was obvious that there was miscommunication from the District Commissioner’s office because according to information communicated to them, they were supposed to meet with the Permanent Secretary at 09:00 hours.

Kapiri-Mposhi Acting District Education Boards Secretary, Njekwa Kamayoyo explained on behalf of his colleagues that according to the letter the time for the meeting was 09:00 hours and not 08:15 hours.

The Permanent Secretary then allowed the meeting to proceed but still emphasised on the need for civil servants to report for work on time.

“You see, I am not telling you something that I do not do myself. I always ensure that I am in the office at 07:00 hours so I can settle because I want to ensure that by 08:00 hours I start my work. So you should all ensure that you are in your various offices at 08:00hours,” she emphasized.

Mrs Mutale also urged the heads of departments to work as a team and build strong partnerships with the private sector in order to alleviate some of the challenges they face in their various departments.

Mrs Mutale emphasized on the need for civil servants to be punctual and adhere to government regulations.

ZANIS