Maravi

If govt won’t look at us over roads, we’ll also not look at them – Shimukunami

If govt won’t look at us over roads, we’ll also not look at them – Shimukunami
By Speedwell Mupuchi
Sun 18 Apr. 2010, 03:40 CAT

A MEMBER of the Shimukunami royal family has warned that people in Lufwanyama will look elsewhere if the MMD government does not consider their plight by working on the Kalulushi-Kalengwa road.

In a walk-in interview at the Post Newspapers offices in Kitwe on Thursday, Musonda Reuben Shimukunami pleaded with the government to urgently consider rehabilitating the Kalulushi-Kalengwa road as it scouted for money for the Mutanda–Chavuma and other roads.

He complained that since the MMD came to power almost 20 years ago, the Kalulushi–Kalengwa road had not been worked on.

“If government won’t look at us over this road, we will also not look at them in the next elections; we will look at the others that maybe they will look after us well,” said Shibuchinga.

“This road is seriously damaged. This is the road that leads to the BOMA, nomba ni BOMA yamusango shani iyishikwete no musebo what type of BOMA is it (Lufwanyama) which doesn’t have a road?”

Shimukunami said the Kalulushi–Kalengwa road was a short-cut to the much talked about Mutanda-Chavuma road and should be given attention.

He said at Katembula bridge which was also damaged, people were forced to divert and pass in the bush.

He complained that farmers were stuck with their produce because of difficulties in transporting them to the markets in Kitwe and other towns.

He said some farmers have had their sweet potatoes destroyed because the vehicles they tried to use to reach the markets got stuck on the road.

Shimukunami feared that even the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) might not buy crops from Lufwanyama because of the poor state of the road.

He said all the chiefs in the area-Shibuchinga, Munkutuma, Shimukunami - whose areas were connected by the same road were not happy about its dilapidated state.

President Rupiah Banda has directed finance minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane to quickly look for additional money to work on major roads in the country.

The President called for the acceleration of road construction works in all the provinces following the end of the rainy season.

President Banda said he wanted to specifically see the completion of the construction of the Mutanda-Chavuma road in North-Western Province, Choma-Chitongo-Namwala road in Southern Province and the Kasama-Luwingu road in Northern Province.

Meanwhile, Shimukunami (right) condemned the work culture of Chinese contractors in Lufwanyama who he said were mistreating the local workers.

He said the Chinese contractors were paying the locals village wages.

“People should be given reasonable salaries not what they are being paid. I am also complaining about the abusive language they use against the workers. They should respect the people they found in the area,” said Shimukunami.

Labels: CHINESE, ROADS

posted by MrK @ 4:37 AM