Government has terminated a K13 billion contract awarded to Healers Construction company to work on Magrade Road in Solwezi.

North Western Province acting Permanent Secretary, Douglas Ngimbu said that the government has terminated the contract because the contractor has breached the terms of the contract.

Mr Ngimbu said the contractor has lamentably failed to meet the terms by failing to complete the works within schedule while the workmanship on the road is poor.

He said government will look for another contractor to continue with the works.

Meanwhile, Mr Ngimbu has assured the people of North Western Province that no money allocated to the province will be taken back to the treasury because everything is being done to ensure all contractors are paid on time.

There has been growing fear among stakeholders that North Western Province may have to take back about K27 billion to the national treasury due to failure by concerned departments to utilize the funds.

The Rural Roads Unit (RRU) is one of the spending agencies that had been noted to have unutilized funds to the tune of K10 billion, while the provincial administration had K2 billion lying idle.

Mr Ngimbu said that the actual balance of the funds was K13 billion and not K27 billion as earlier suggested.

He said even the K13 billion has already been committed for payments to suppliers and contractors whose certificates of completion for various contractual jobs are being cleared.

He said the permanent secretary’s office is on top of things to ensure that all fund that the province received this year go into addressing the major developmental challenges the province is facing, hence no single ngwee will be returned to the national treasury.

[ZANIS]

Zesco has completed the refurbishing and upgrading of generator number four at Kariba North Bank Power Station which has added 180 megawatts (MW) electricity generating capacity, hugely easing load-shedding.

The additional 180 mw from Kariba North Bank Power Station has reduced the national daily deficit that was initially at 250 mw to about 70 mw.

This is according to a statement by ZESCO public relations department.

[pullquote]Since last weekend, however, several parts of Lusaka, for instance, have not experienced the regular interruption in the power supply on respective days.[/pullquote]

“Out of the current projected national demand of 1700 mw, ZESCO has now the capacity to generate enough power through the available machines at Kafue Gorge, Kariba North Bank and Victoria Falls Hydro-Power Station to meet the demand,” partly reads the statement.

This means, therefore, that load-shedding as a result of insufficient power generation capacity is expected to reduce significantly.

“However, we would like to make an appeal to our customers on the need to conserve energy by switching off appliances and equipment that they are not using.”

Other mid-term projects aimed at enhancing generation capacity to cushion the increasing demand for power would include Kariba North Bank Extension Power Station earmarked to be commissioned by late 2013.

This will add 360 mw to the current electricity generation capacity in the country.

The other one is the Itezhi-Tezhi Hydro-power Station which is planned to be commissioned by late 2015 and will add another 120 mw power generation.

For several months, ZESCO customers have been suggested to power outages as the result of the 250-mw power generation deficit.

Since last weekend, however, several parts of Lusaka, for instance, have not experienced the regular interruption in the power supply on respective days.

The Zambian government and the African Development Bank (ADB) have signed a US$50 million loan which will be used to support the Itezhi-Tezhi hydro power and transmission line project.

The loan will be used towards financing the construction and operation of a 120 megawatt hydro plant at Itezhi Tezhi dam along the Kafue river.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Lusaka today, Minister of Finance Alexander Chikwanda said once completed, the project will significantly increase the country’s power supply which at the moment stands at 1000 megawatts.

Mr. Chikwanda explained that the increase in electricity generation and distribution will assist in reducing the erratic power supply which is currently being experienced in the country.

He said it will also contribute to providing adequate energy to complement the country’s fast growing economy.

Mr. Chikwanda added that ADB has been a significant partner to Zambia through the provision of support in infrastructure and strengthened management systems in various sectors of the economy.

He cited the development of the Victoria Falls power transmission project in the energy sector, the establishment of Lukanga water in the water and sanitation sector and the formation of Kaleya holdings in the agriculture sector as some of the valued contribution the bank has made to Zambia.

He hoped that preliminaries that are necessary to launching the project will be met so that site works can commerce soon.

And ADB Vice President for Operations, Infrastructure, Private Sector and Regional Integration, Gilbert Mbesherubusa, disclosed that the Itezhi Tezhi hydro power project was economically attractive adding that its development will help address Zambia’s growing power deficit.

Mr. Mbesherubusa said the project was a milestone as it will open Zambia’s first Public Private Partnership (PPP) in the energy sector.

He said the project was also critical for planning the long-term and sustainable performance of the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO), equitable tariff structures and the provision of a reliable service that underpins the economic growth of the nation.

He explained that the whole Southern African region is experiencing power deficit.

Mr. Mbesherubusa further charged that this was why the Itezhi Tezhi hydro power plant project will improve the reliability of electricity supply and enhance energy security in Zambia.

ZANIS

Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Bob Sichinga has said the Patriotic Front (PF) government’s manifesto is bearing fruits which many Zambian have started benefiting from.

Mr. Sichinga said many Zambians did not believe the PF manifesto during its vigorous campaigns prior to last year’s elections because they did not understand it.

He said this doing a consultative meeting with business communities in Mansa and Samfya yesterday.

Mr. Sichinga also disclosed that his ministry will initiate five industrial clusters in every province in the country based on the comparative advantage.

He also revealed that his ministry’s priority was to increase value additional programmes which will result in job creation thereby putting more money into people’s pockets

Mr. Sichinga said soon after the PF came into power last year, the party embarked on formulating a strategic plan for 2011/2015 which will incorporate its manifesto.

ZANIS

Residents of Chibwemkunga area in Mkushi district have called on Government to take immediate action against a named land investor for allegedly intimidating the locals by firing gunshots.

Chibwemkunga headman, Edwin Mwape, told ZANIS that residents were demanding action against the land investor, identified as David Bunda, who is said to have used gunshots against the locals to vacate a stretch of land.

Headman Mwape explained that the land dispute involving Mr Bunda and the locals precipitated last Saturday when the investor allegedly gave an ultimatum to the locals to vacate a 3 km square area surrounding Chibewemkunga School in Chalata Ward.

He said prior to issuing this ultimatum, the investor had allegedly fired gunshots on the previous night, and had then sent his workers to inform the villagers that some armed men under his command would go to enforce the eviction.

The headman said although the investor had openly claimed to have bought the land in question, he could not produce any document to support his claim when the locals demanded to see the Land Title Deed.

Secretary for Chibwemkunga Concerned Residents, Frank Mate, mentioned that there was need for Government to thoroughly scrutinize Mr Bunda’s claim for ownership of the land, adding that the area was located in Chief Shaibila’s customary land.

Mr Mate observed that Mr Bunda could not have obtained this land via customary procedures as this Chiefdom was still without an officially installed Chief since 2009.

He implored Government to intervene into the matter, charging that it was not right for residents who have lived there for decades to be evicted from the area by an investor with questionable claims on the land.

Meanwhile, Acting Chief Shaibila, Alice Mashamo, expressed solidarity with the Chibwemkunga residents, saying their stay in that area had been acknowledged by the late Chief Shaibila who died in 2009.

Acting Chief Shaibila advised the residents against retaliating to Mr Bunda’s alleged intimidation tactics, saying there was need to leave such matters to law enforcement agencies.

She strongly pointed out that the Chiefdom was currently plagued by cases of illegal sale of land, adding that there was need for relevant authorities to quickly finalise the official installation of the chief.

She said that according to the Shaibila Chiefdom laws pertaining land, it was compulsory for ownership of land to be endorsed by the Chief only.

And Mkushi District Commissioner (DC), Christopher Chibuye, saluted Chibwemkunga for having opted to seek a solution to this matter through lawful means.

Mr Chibuye pledged that he would treat the matter with urgency by involving the higher echelons of the Government machinery.

He also directed the Police Command in Mkushi to commence immediate investigations into the allegations of firearm use by Mr Bunda, saying such behaviour could not be tolerated anywhere.

The Shaibila Chiefdom has been without an official chief since the demise of the late Chief in 2009, and the official installation procedure is currently being delayed by a succession wrangle involving two claimants to the throne.

ZANIS

The Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) has pledged to carry out its operations in accordance with the current government’s manifesto.

CEEC Director General Likando Mukumbuta said the irregularities that used to happen at his institution during the past few years will now be a thing of the past.

Mr. Mukumbuta has since warned his officers against stealing public resources.

He was speaking in Mansa yesterday during a business consultative meeting.

He further disclosed that CEEC will make serious adjustment in the disbursement of resources to those who will qualify for the funds.

Mr. Mukumbuta further said 30 per cent of the CEEC funds will be allocated to youth empowerment programmes while 70 per cent will be for women and other empowerment programmes.

He said Zambians will be given first priority when it comes to benefitting from the empowerment funds.

Mr. Mukumbuta reiterated that CEEC funds were meant to revolve around Zambians so that they can improve their livelihoods at domestic and community levels.

ZANIS