Maravi

Govt to build Levy a house before he retires

Govt to build Levy a house before he retires
By George Chellah
Friday February 16, 2007 [02:00]

WORKS and supply minister Kapembwa Simbao yesterday said the government wants to build President Levy Mwanawasa's retirement house before he leaves office. Simbao justified the allocation of K1 billion to President Mwanawasa's retirement house by finance minister Ng'andu Magande. "It's for designing, preparations and all that goes with it," he said.

Asked whether money would continue being allocated to the project until President Mwanawasa finishes his final term, Simbao responded: “Yes! We want to build him a house. There isn’t enough time. You have seen what has happened to Dr Kaunda (first Republican president) and Dr Chiluba also. So the same might happen to him. We want to build him a house,” Simbao said. “So once the design is made and everything is agreed to, that’s when everything will be done.” He said the government also intends to construct houses for President Mwanawasa’s two predecessors. “From the scarce resources we have we want to first build Dr Kaunda’s house, then Dr Chiluba and the President’s house as well,” Simbao said. “These are just one year projects, it’s just a question of money being available.”

And Simbao said the designs for former president Frederick Chiluba’s house were ready. “The designs are ready and they were taken to him the other day. I don’t know the exact day but they were taken and he has them,” Simbao said. “He has the designs and he is just waiting for someone from here (Ministry of Works and Supply) to go and meet him since he requested. So he is just waiting for the person from here to meet him.”

In this year’s budget, Magande has allocated K1 billion towards President Mwanawasa’s retirement house. Magande further allocated K4billion towards Dr Kaunda’s incomplete retirement house, which has not been finished since the government embarked on the project several years ago. Magande has also allocated K2billion to Chiluba’s incomplete retirement house.

Labels: CORRUPTION, HOUSES, MAGANDE, MWANAWASA

posted by MrK @ 6:37 AM