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(LUSAKATIMES) Sata not happy with pace of Link Zambia 8000 road project

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Sata not happy with pace of Link Zambia 8000 road project
TIME PUBLISHED - Monday, October 29, 2012, 1:57 pm

President Sata talking to Zulu Burrow Consultant Engineer Levy Zulu, during the inspection of the Chiawa-Chirundu road construction.

President Michael Sata is not happy with the pace at which road works on the newly launched Link Zambia 8000 project are progressing.President Sata who toured the project in Lusaka this morning to check on the progress that has been made so far since he launched the project last month, was disappointed at the rate the contractor is moving.

Mr. Sata took to task Zulu Burrow Development Consultants Chief Executive Officer Levi Zulu over the slow pace of the works and demanded that works be expedited or another contractor would be brought in. The President stressed that if the Chinese Contractor, China Geo was not capable of doing the works, Government was ready to engage another contractor. President Sata said he does not want to see the project take years to be completed because it was of immense economic importance to the country.

“Do you want us to wait for four years before this project is completed? If the Chinese are not capable of doing the works we will bring other people who will do the project,” the President said.

The President warned that the next time he inspects the road works and things are not moving, the contract that was awarded to the Chinese contractor would be terminated. President Sata who arrived at the construction site at exactly 11:25 hours was accompanied by his Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations George Chellah and other senior State House officials.

And Zulu Burrow Development Consultants Chief Executive Officer Levi Zulu explained to journalists soon after the President’s tour of the road construction that the contractor was on course with the construction of the project.

He stated that there were a lot of preparations that has to be done before a road is constructed and that these are the ones that have slowed down the pace of the works. He said the contractor had to make diversions and also prepare a place where to get crashed stones among other things before the actual construction of the project would get underway.

But when asked why the President was upset with the pace at which the contractor was moving, Mr Zulu said President Sata was a good President who had a lot of information and therefore knew what to expect from contractors.He however assured the President that everything was under control and that once all the ‘nitty gritties’ where put in place, the construction process was going to move smoothly.

And on the purported resistance of the project by the community in the area, Mr Zulu said Chieftainess Nkomesha Mukamambo the second and her subjects have been fully cooperative and supportive of the project.He said the project has met no resistance as has been speculated, saying he earlier had a meeting with about 17 farmers and other people that have been affected with the project who have agreed to be accommodated somewhere else.

ZANIS

Labels: CHIEFTAINESS NKOMESHA MUKAMAMBO, LEVI ZULU, LINK ZAMBIA 8000, MICHAEL SATA, ROADS

posted by MrK @ 9:41 PM