Maravi

W/Province road network is a 'thorn in the flesh' - Mufalali

W/Province road network is a 'thorn in the flesh' - Mufalali
By Mwala Kalaluka in Mongu
Thursday September 13, 2007 [04:00]

WESTERN Province minister Adonis Mufalali has described the road network in the province as a 'thorn in the flesh'. And works and supply minister Kapembwa Simbao has urged the people in the province not to relent in their demands on the government to provide them with a better road network.

Meanwhile, provincial permanent secretary Patrick Kashinka has accused a local radio station in Mongu of being used as an arena to condemn the government over the delayed completion of the Mongu-Kalabo road project.

Speaking when Simbao and a delegation from the Road Development Agency (RDA) paid a courtesy call on him on Tuesday, Mufalali said if there was anything that Western Province lacked it was a good road network.

"The Mongu-Kalabo road, it is a thorn in the flesh. Kalabo-Sesheke Road is also a thorn in the flesh," he said.
He said another 'thorn in the flesh' project was the construction of a district hospital in Shangombo, which he said had been abandoned by the contractor.

"We are very much in need of that hospital," he said. "Your initiative of coming to this province by road is very good because you will see the roads for yourself and you will feel them. You are going to Shangombo and you will see the Sitoti-Sesheke Road , it is hell there and we have been singing that song ever since the liberation wars."

And Simbao said he was touring roads and other infrastructure in the area to explain to the people how the government was addressing the concerns raised by members of the public during a discussion organised by The Press Freedom Committee (PFC) of The Post where he featured in Mongu recently.

"We have come back. We were here last on newsmakers discussion organised by The Post. At that meeting we promised that we will come back to deal with the issues of concern such as the usual ones like the Mongu-Kalabo road ," he said. "As you can see this is the most powerful team that has come to this province and the people here have an opportunity to ask all the questions they have thought of."

Meanwhile, Kashinka said a lot had been said by different interest groups on the Mongu-Kalabo road and there was need for the involved stakeholders to complete the project.

"We have our radio programmes here on our local radio stations but I think one radio station is being used as an arena to start condemning the government on the road instead of people fully understanding they are at times misled," he said. "We have to go flat out and get to the end of this project and this is my appeal at the moment."

Labels: ROADS, WESTERN PROVINCE

posted by MrK @ 3:24 AM