Chama-Matumbo road works excite Chanda
By Jonathan Mukuka and Mirriam Kumwenda in Chama
Sun 19 May 2013, 14:01 CAT
CONSTRUCTION works for the KR371 million, 84 kilometre stretch of the Chama-Matumbo Road linking Northern, Muchinga and Eastern provinces are progressing well.
The works, under lot 2 of the Chama-Matumbo road project stretching from Muyombe junction passing through the boma to Luangwa Bridge, are part of the Link Zambia 8,000 Project under the Road Development Agency (RDA) being undertaken by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation.
China Jiangxi Limited has been engaged to do lot 1 of the project at a cost of over KR399 million, from Matumbo junction to Luangwa River, covering a total distance of 115 km.
The scope of the works for the two projects include upgrading of the road from gravel to bituminous.
Muchinga Province minister Colonel Gerry Chanda inspected the works last week during his familiarisation tour of Chama district.
Col Chanda said he was happy that the works were taking shape adding that with the rain season now coming to an end, the government expected more progress on the road construction.
Col Chanda who was accompanied by Chama district commissioner Josephat Lombe, council secretary Yaphet Sinkamba and other district heads of departments said the government was committed to ensuring that the road project was completed on time.
He also appealed to the contractor to ensure that a good job was done, adding that both the government and members of the public expected a good product from the contractor.
Col Chanda further said he was happy that the contractor with a total of 120 workers was meeting the required minimum wage.
He was however, disappointed that it was taking long for RDA to engage a contractor to work on the bridge across Luangwa River.
"We need a bridge across Luangwa River. In fact, we should have started with a bridge so that as the road construction works progresses, motorists should have been using this route to go to Chinsali and from Chinsali to Chama, "said Col. Chanda.
But Michael Banda, resident engineer for East Consult, the consultant for the lot 2 of the Chama-Matumbo Road project, said plans to engage a contractor to erect a bridge across Luangwa River, had advanced.
Banda said the contractor would soon be moving on-site to commence the works and was set to finish the project in record time and hand it over to the government.
He said that a lot of works had been done from the time the rains stopped in the area adding that very little works were done during the rainy season.
Meanwhile, Chama district in Muchinga Province has procured two sets of earth-moving machines at a cost of KR10,000 using the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
Lombe disclosed this yesterday when Col Chanda paid a courtsey call on him at his office.
Lombe said a part payment of KR7,540 had been paid, adding that the balance of KR2,460 would be paid once the machinery arrives in the district.
He said the equipment had already been loaded on the ship from the United Kingdom and was expected to arrive in the district by the end of this month.
Lombe said the machinery which would be used for the construction of feeder roads in the district would be shared between the two constituencies- Chama North and Chama South.
He said another set of earth-moving machines would be procured using the 2013/2014 CDF funds for the two constituencies as soon as the last payment is paid.
Lombe said that most of the feeder roads in the district, particularly in Chama North Constituency, were in bad state and the procurement of the earth-moving machines would go a long way in making most roads passable and ease the transportation of farm inputs and farm produce.
Labels: GERRY CHANDA, LINK ZAMBIA 8000, ROADS
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Govt keen to fix roads - Malama
By Gift Chanda
Mon 06 May 2013, 14:00 CAT
GOVERNMENT says the sustainability of the motor industry in Zambia will require a good road network.
Speaking at the fifth Lusaka Happening Motor Show in Lusaka on Saturday, transport deputy minister Mwimba Malama said the government was keen to develop and rehabilitate roads in the country through projects such as the Link Zambia 8000 and the Pave Zambia 2000.
"For the motor industry to grow and continue operating and sustaining itself, there is need for a good road infrastructure in this country. Basically this industry depends on roads as one of the modes of transport besides railway, air and water," said Malama.
And Lusaka Happening managing director Bobby Singh said all major motor vehicle dealers operating in Zambia were participating in this year's motor show.
On display were brands such as Mercedes Benz, Chrysler, Dodge, Freightliner Trucks and GWM.
Among the car classics is the 1995 Shamrock Cobra which is a replica of the original AC Cobra, the 1959 Mercedes 190 Ponton and the 1941 Harley Davidson motorcycle.
Singh urged people to attend the motor show and preview the unique blend of vehicle models ranging from "the good old faithful and those fresh from the factory".
The motor show, which commenced on Friday, ended yesterday.
Labels: LINK ZAMBIA 8000, MWIMBA MALAMA, ROADS
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Sata ponders ways of reducing accidents
By Abigail Chaponda and Darious Kapembwa in Ndola
Tue 12 Feb. 2013, 14:50 CAT
PRESIDENT Michael Sata says he has spent some time thinking about what can be done to reduce road traffic accidents in the country. And President Sata has directed the quick construction of dual carriageways to connect major towns under the government's Link Zambia 8000 road project to avoid further loss of life to road accidents.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Ndola residents yesterday turned up to pay their last respects to victims of the Chibombo Post Bus accident that occurred last Thursday in which 51 people died.
Speaking during a requiem service at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, President Sata said he was shocked, scared and angered at the unfairness that took fellow citizens.
He said there were no easy answers to the tragic accident in which many people lost their lives.
"…but there are other questions, very important questions that can be answered by looking at the loss of these precious lives," he said. "It is for this reason that I wish to direct the ministries of transport, works, supply and communications as well as home affairs to put in place measures that will help mitigate such tragedies in future."
President Sata said there was need for the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) and other law enforcement agencies to work closely with motorists and other road users in ensuring that traffic rules and regulations are observed in order to make roads safe for all users.
"Over-speeding and reckless drivers should be firmly charged in accordance with the law; the RTSA and the Zambia Police Service must strictly ensure that road users respect road regulations in order to reduce on accidents. I know that there are plans in the Link Zambia 8000 Project to construct dual carriage roads to link major cities. However, I direct that construction of dual carriage roads to link major cities be considered early," he said.
President Sata urged relatives to the deceased to mourn in a dignified manner as "this was time to beseech the almighty God for strength and spiritual power so that Zambia remains a united nation".
"The government and the people of Zambia share in your loss. My heart and the hearts of the first family pour out to the bereaved families. As we gather here today, still reeling from the tragic death of our children, brothers, sisters and parents; we are shocked, scared and angered at the unfairness that took our dear fellow citizens from us," said a solemn President Sata.
And scores of people lined up the street from the stadium to Mitengo Cemetery on the Ndola-Mufulira road and watched as four police trucks carrying coffins made their way to the cemetery.
Other on-lookers wept as the military convoy moved solemnly while others were seen being taken away.
MMD vice-president for administration Dr Brian Chituwo, Muchinga member of parliament Howard Kunda and MMD Copperbelt province information and publicity secretary Yotam Mtayachalo were also in attendance.
Meanwhile, Postmaster General McPherson Chanda said it was shocking to hear of the accident because the company always took pride as a reliable public transport system.
"As ZAMPOST and its subsidiary the Post Bus Company Limited, we have hitherto prided ourselves in offering a very safe and reliable public passenger transport. We were therefore shocked when this fatal accident happened and horrified when the full scale of the fatalities unfolded. Your excellence, we have, since the day of the accident visited the bereaved as well as injured in hospital," he said.
Chanda assured the bereaved families that ZAMPOST stood and shared in their loss and that the company was interested in the path of recovery for the injured.
A total of 21 victims were buried in Ndola while others were buried in different parts of the country.
After all people laid their wreaths, President Sata thanked opposition leaders that attended the funeral saying: "Thank you for coming. A funeral is not like a wedding that you should wait to be invited."
Labels: CAR ACCIDENTS, LINK ZAMBIA 8000, MICHAEL SATA
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COMMENT - Excellent.
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
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