Levy refutes Mulongoti's pledge to Nyimba accident bereaved families
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Thursday June 19, 2008 [04:00]
PRESIDENT Levy Mwanawasa has refuted the statement by information minister Mike Mulongoti that the government would assist the bereaved families and relatives of the victims of the Nyimba accident. Special assistant to the President for press and public relations John Musukuma stated yesterday that the words attributed to President Mwanawasa by Mulongoti in connection with government assistance through direct financial assistance were not made by the President at the Cabinet meeting or any other time afterwards.
"I would like to correct the wrong impression created by a statement published in the print and electronic media on Tuesday 17, June, 2008 which was issued by the chief government spokesperson and Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, Honourable Mike Mulongoti, MP," he stated.
Musukuma stated that President Mwanawasa offered his condolences to those who were killed and injured in a road traffic accident during the Cabinet meeting at State House on Monday, June 16, 2008 but did not utter the words attributed to him with regard to government assistance.
About 28 people died and 53 others were injured in the accident that occurred over the weekend at Nyalugwe turnoff, 72 kilometres from Nyimba in Eastern Province.
Labels: CAR ACCIDENTS, MIKE MULONGOTI, ROADS
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Death toll in Nyimba accident reaches 27
By Masuzyo Chakwe, Lambwe Kachali and Christopher Miti
Monday June 16, 2008 [04:00]
POLICE spokesperson Bonny Kapeso yesterday said the death toll in the Nyimba accident had reached 27. And Lusaka Province minister Lameck Mangani attributed accidents in the country to
the corrupt system in the issuance of drivers’ licences. The accident, which followed a tyre burst around 13:00 hours on Saturday at Nyalugwe turnoff, an area between Kacholola and Luangwa, has also left 54 people injured. Kapeso said 26 people died on the spot while the 27th died yesterday morning. He said the bus was overloaded as it was carrying 82 passengers instead of the required maximum of 60.
Kapeso said the driver of the bus was still at large.
And Mangani said people should not solely blame the bad state of roads as the major cause of accidents but the system under which drivers’ licences were being issued to people.
He said most drivers obtained Public Service Vehicle (PSV) licences through corrupt means.
He said unless such vices were curbed, the country would continue to lose lives through accidents.
Mangani called for the formation of technical groups of bus inspectors who could conduct routine checks on all long distance public buses.
He said the technical group of bus inspectors should also look into mechanical problems most buses on long routes faced.
Mangani said some of the problems that caused rampant accidents were petty but because of lack of inspection, the buses were put on roads and consequently caused accidents.
"We had the UBZ (United Bus of Zambia), although accidents were there, they were not as rampant as they are today. In Eastern Province, almost every month, lives are lost in accidents, why?" Mangani asked. "I will start lobbying the government and business community to immediately form this honourary group of bus inspectors. These professionals should be given a mandate to ensure that only a bus which is fit should be on the road."
And police sources at the scene said 17 bodies had been taken to Chipata General Hospital mortuary, five bodies to St Francis Mission hospital mortuary in Katete district while three bodies were taken to Petauke District Hospital mortuary.
Eastern Province minister Charles Shawa described the accident as a big tragedy in the province.
Labels: BONNIE KAPESO, CAR ACCIDENTS, ROADS
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Road contractors
By Gilbert Wandi
Friday June 13, 2008 [04:00]
The programme by the government to repair and rehabilitate some tarred roads in the country is an expensive exercise that should be taken seriously to avoid wastage of taxpayers’ money. The sad thing is that in spite of the huge amounts of money the government is spending on these roads, some of the repaired ones are far short of the required standards.
I don’t know the criteria which the government and RDA use to certify a road that has been worked on as completed before a contractor is paid. Take for instance the road which branches off from Kapiri Mposhi/Ndola road and joins the Luanshya-Ndola one.
This road was recently worked on by some road contractor and a few weeks ago, I was surprised to find that the road already has big potholes? Is this the new fashion of how roads should be repaired in Zambia or what is happening?
I challenge officials from Road Development Agency to inspect this road and see for themselves what I am talking about.
It does not make sense to start mending potholes on a new road unless there is something fishy about how these contracts are awarded.
http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=42744
Zambia Sugar: warning from history
By M M Mazwi
Friday June 13, 2008 [04:00]
Your June 11 article entitled ‘Chief accuses Zambia Sugar managers of being pompous’ on Zambia Sugar's attitude towards the Zambian government made interesting reading.
Actually, that problem is not new, will never end and has a long history.
While my fellow Evelyn Hone students protested against former president Frederick Chiluba's third-term bid in 2001, I recall attending a 'handover' function, organised by the Zambian government (or was it Zambia Sugar management) to mark the transfer of (majority) ownership from government hands to Illovo Sugar.
The only senior official then was some union leader whose name escapes my memory but is Lozi. I suppose by now the government knows the behaviour of investors, especially those from South Africa. So the government should not expect anything more from these people.
And I hope Magande was not fighting to be accommodated in that Zambia Sugar 'guesthouse'.
Labels: CONTRACTORS, ROADS, ZAMBIA SUGAR
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K1 trillion Mongu-Kalabo rd bid for bridges shocks govt
By Mwala Kalaluka
Thursday June 12, 2008 [04:00]
THE government has described as shocking a bidding claim by a Chinese contractor that the installation of 27 bridges on the controversial Mongu-Kalabo road project will cost over K1 trillion. Sources close to the team considering the bidding tenders on the project said two contractors - one foreign and another local - had submitted tenders to carry out the work but that the exorbitant bidding prices had stalled the process.
Ministry of Works and Supply officials told The Post yesterday that they were still scrutinising the two tender applications from China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGC), who are quoting the K1.3 trillion and Sable Contractors who have pegged their costs for the project at around K600 billion.
The 27 bridges are to be erected across a 34-kilometre stretch of the road.
About K137 billion out of the total amount of K145 billion has so far been spent on the road project, where 41 kilometres of the road project had been developed to tarmac level on both sides of the Zambezi River in its initial phase.
Works and supply minister Kapembwa Simbao, who could neither confirm nor deny the issue, said he would comment on the matter later.
Sources said the two contractors had applied to undertake the civil works after tenders were floated following the arrival of the bridge components from China over a month ago.
"But the government felt that the pricing was something out of this world; they priced their bids too highly," the source said. "The government requested for more information on the pricing because there could be problems if the two bids were accepted. Really, there is nothing believable with what these people contractors are doing."
The source said the officials in the Ministry of Works and Supply could encounter difficulties in explaining the circumstances under which such a high-priced contract bid could be accepted.
"There would be a problem before Cabinet and even before Parliament to explain this," said the source.
Another source said the two contractors had in most cases abnormally overpriced their bid items.
The source said this was shocking, considering that a separate contract that was awarded to another Chinese company to procure superstructures for the bridges only cost K53 billion.
"The contract we are floating now is for civil works and this is what the contractors are charging against," said the source.
The 27 bridges are part of the new design on the Mongu-Kalabo road project, which has dragged for over four years now, following the washing away of vital installations on the road embankment across various flooding points in the Barotse Flood Plains.
Labels: MONGU, ROADS
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Chigunta attributes poor road network to budget cycle
By Joan Chirwa
Friday May 30, 2008 [04:00]
FAILURE to improve Zambia's road network largely stems from the nature of the budget cycle, University of Zambia (UNZA) Development Studies lecturer Dr Francis Chigunta has observed. Dr Chigunta said the solution to country’s poor road network was revisiting the
budget cycle while
reducing on tendering procedures for road works. He was commenting on the 2008 Africa Economic Outlook (AEO) which indicated that Zambia currently faces numerous challenges such as the improvement of its weak infrastructure.
“The road network in Zambia is horrible both in rural and urban areas. The problem is not lack of money,” Dr Chigunta said. “Last year, the Minister of Finance Mr Magande announced that the government could not spend over K900 billion. This is a lot of money for a country like Zambia with serious socio-economic problems.”
The 2008 AEO report stated that inadequate infrastructure is one of the main obstacles to increasing economic growth and development in Zambia.
The report, released last week, noted that the lack of infrastructure applies to almost all critical economic areas such as transport, energy, water and sanitation, adding that the road density was still very low while the main export corridors suffered from overloaded trucks and heavy traffic.
Dr Chigunta further said the bureaucratic tendering processes also contributed to delays in the implementation of infrastructure projects.
“Related to the issue of not having the money released early is the complex and bureaucratic tendering processes and procedures. The budget cycle is too short such that by the time the money is released to contracting firms, time is gone,” Dr Chigunta said. “This has not been helped by the lengthy tendering process. The solution here is to revisit the budget cycle and to simplify the tendering procedures.”
And works and supply permanent secretary Colonel Bizwayo Nkunika on Tuesday said lack of adequate capacity in procurement systems constrained the implementation of road works despite money being allocated in the budget or sometimes released to the ministry.
Labels: 2008 AFRICA ECONOMIC OUTLOOK, BUDGET, CONTRACTORS, FRANCIS CHIGUNTA, PROCUREMENT SYSTEMS, ROADS
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NRFA addresses concerns on funding of road works
By ROAD FUND CORNER
Tuesday May 13, 2008 [03:00]
In this issue, the Road Fund Corner will highlight some suggestions and concerns raised by Mr. Robert Kelly Salati, a Lusaka motorist and budget expenditure analyst, who has written to nrfa@zamnet.zm as follows:
“I have been following your publications in the press concerning the road works and the fund disbursements that have been made across the country as a motorist and a budget expenditure analyst. If the rationale for the publication is for the members of the public to follow road projects you are funding, the information given is not sufficient.
The reason is that even if the amount is stipulated, date of disbursement and name of road project given, members of the public will not effectively monitor the works since they do not know exactly what the contractor is supposed to do with the funds disbursed for a particular road project.
For example, if the amount disbursed is high, does it mean a good job is expected? If the amount is low, does it mean the job should finish early? You cannot expect a layman to use that information well.
Therefore my proposal to the National Road Fund Agency (NRFA) is that you should indicate the information in tabular form showing the expected work to be done by the contractor for every disbursement done and approximate date of completion.
With this approach members of the public will act as whistle-blowers for shoddy works since they will know what is expected to be done with the funds disbursed. Knowing the exact nature of the works helps the community to closely monitor the contractor and ensure there is value for money.
Thanking you for making the masses know which roads are funded” - Robert Kelly Salati, Lusaka.
As Mr. Salati has observed, in line with its core values of transparency and accountability, the NRFA publishes quarterly and annual fund disbursements in the print media for all road projects being funded by the Agency through Zambia’s cooperating partners, the Road Fund and government project-specific funding.
The proposal by Mr Salati to the NRFA to indicate the type of road works being funded and the expected completion date is valid and will be incorporated in future disbursement schedules.
The amount of money involved for a certain project can be high or low. Depending on the nature of the project this money will, to a large extent, determine the quality of works to be done as the amount of money available for a project would ultimately dictate the specifications and scope of work in the contract document.
And each intervention prescribed on any road or section takes into account various factors ranging from the purpose of intervention, general condition and usage of the road to financial limitations. Each intervention prescribed has its own price.
For instance, the unit cost can be based on the width of the carriage way, length of the road intervention, whether the road is gravel or tarred and the number of culverts or bridges and the type of the side drains. Generally, gravel roads are cheaper than tarred roads.
Furthermore, the unit cost would also depend on the contractor’s mobilisation costs, quality of the material and the kind of road equipment and manpower to be used.
And for each intervention prescribed, the expected completion date and the terms of payment are clearly stipulated in the contract document, which details the NRFA would be publishing in future disbursement schedules.
It is imperative, as Mr Salati has observed, for road users and all stakeholders to understand the scope of work being funded, and the specifications as outlined in the contract documents for them to arrive at informed conclusions as to whether or not they are getting value for their money.
The Road Fund Corner welcomes all comments and suggestions from road users and other stakeholders on the activities of the NRFA and will endeavor to publish and respond to all the pertinent issues raised.
Send your comments to Road Fund Corner, Box 50695 Lusaka. Email: nrfa@zamnet.zm; Alphonsius@nrfa.org.zm; website: www.nrfa.org.zm
Labels: NATIONAL ROAD FUND ACT 13, NRFA, ROAD DEVELOPMENT AGENCY, ROADS
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NRFA disburses K76bn for road projects
By Kabanda Chulu
Thursday May 08, 2008 [03:00]
THE National Road Fund Agency (NRFA) has disbursed K76 billion for road projects being funded by the agency throughout the country for the first quarter of 2008. Releasing the quarterly report for 2008 yesterday, NRFA spokesperson Alphonsius Hamachila said the funding was from donors, Road Fund and government specific funding projects.
Hamachila said the total amount disbursed from the Road Fund and government funding amounted to K70 billion that could be translated into a total length of 13, 000 kilometres, across the country.
He explained that major disbursements from the Road Fund and government projects include K8.6 billion for the rehabilitation of Kashikishi-Lunchinda road in Luapula Province, K6 billion for periodic maintenance on 42 kilometres of Lusaka-Kabwe road between Chisamba and Mukoboto Junction.
“Another K6 billion went to the routine maintenance on all European Union supported periodic maintenance of main and district roads across the country and others include K4.5 billion for the periodic maintenance of the Great East Road from Mutenguleni to Mwami Border Post in Eastern Province, K3.6 billion was for the periodic maintenance of Namalundu Road up to Kafue Gorge in Lusaka and K3.2 billion was disbursed for the construction of Chembe Bridge in Luapula Province,” he said.
Hamachila also said that K3.2 billion had been disbursed under road projects being funded by the European Union while disbursements for World Bank projects amounted to US $ 556,711 with K557 million being disbursed under DANIDA funded projects.
Labels: NRFA, ROADS
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Road traffic accidents
By Editor
Wednesday May 07, 2008 [04:00]
We are losing too many people every day through road traffic accidents.
The University Teaching Hospital is receiving, on average, over 100 cases of road traffic accidents every week. This loss of valuable human resource through road traffic accidents needs to be addressed by serious policy considerations and practical measures.
We are losing over a trillion kwacha every year as a result of road traffic accidents. This constitutes three per cent of our Gross Domestic Product. And statistics show that every year we are recording not less than 12,000 accidents. And we lose at least 1,000 lives through accidents every year, with at least 2,000 of our citizens left with serious injuries and 3,000 with light injuries.
These statistics are indeed worrisome and demand far-reaching measures to correct the situation. It is easy to forget that dry statistics represent real people and real lives. Every single injury and death caused by a road traffic accident is totally preventable. Thus, road traffic accidents remain a serious problem that tragically affects thousands of victims annually. Road accidents rank as the third-highest cause of death after malaria and AIDS in this country.
However, there are a number of actions which can contribute towards a reduction of this problem. Some of them have already been articulated by our Inspector General of Police Ephraim Mateyo and others by other agencies. What remains really is action. Of course, we should continue to seek more and better ways of curbing road traffic accidents and there should be no end to this quest.
Something has to be done to drastically reduce this problem. And we should always remember that driving is a privilege, not a right. Just as we do not licence people who violate certain standards in other areas, we should not hesitate to revoke the licences of those who are bad or reckless drivers, those who lack good judgement.
Automatic licence revocation along with a mandatory jail sentence may be more effective, for certain grave violations, than just licence revocation.
Everything possible should be done to reverse this worrying trend on our roads. The morbidity and mortality that road traffic accidents cause are quite as significant as is the economic burden arising out of these accidents. It also shouldn’t be forgotten that the actual impact of road traffic accidents falls mainly on pedestrians and public service passengers, and to some extent, children.
Yet road traffic accidents have not been really identified as a public health problem in particular and consequently better formulated intervention that needs a multi-dimensional and multi-sectoral strategy is either lacking or limited. This impairs the successful implementation and effectiveness of the programmes or initiatives.
Yes, it cannot be denied that attempts targeted at addressing the problem of road traffic accidents and road traffic injuries have been initiated in Zambia. But lack of policy implementation shows that in terms of human resource, financial and other capital resources appear to be limiting any achievement orimpact in reducing mortality and morbidity due to road traffic accidents. As such, past and current trends in road traffic accidents will continue. Our traffic police, as things stand today, don’t really have what it takes to control bad or reckless driving. As we have experienced with speed controls, more resources and equipment will be needed to curb bad or reckless driving.
We can’t continue to have a reputation of being the country highest prone to road traffic accidents in the SADC region. The number of motor vehicles on our roads is growing at an alarming rate and if this is not matched with more strict road traffic controls, our roads will increasingly become more and more dangerous. We can’t do with a laxity of the days when automobiles on our roads were very few. Today even a humble worker has more than one car. Our roads are increasingly becoming congested with traffic. There is need for sanity on the roads and this won’t come by itself; it has to be introduced by the authorities.
Clearly, there are many ways we can use to try and address this problem – let’s use all of them.
And as Inspector General Mateyo has correctly observed, the country needs to develop and implement a safety strategy that is responsive to the causes of road traffic accidents. It is imperative that we develop a road traffic safety strategy to curb the rising number of accidents and deaths on our roads. We need to take another deep look at our road traffic laws and regulations to try and reduce the carnage on our roads.
Labels: ROADS, TRANSPORT
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Mateyo calls for responsive strategy on traffic accidents
By Lemmy Likando in Siavonga and Masuzyo Chakwe in Lusaka
Wednesday May 07, 2008 [04:00]
THE country needs to develop and implement a safety strategy that is responsive to the causes of road traffic accidents, Inspector General of Police Ephraim Mateyo has said. And Passenger Rights and Advocacy Network executive director Prince Kaping'a has called on Mateyo to introduce highway patrols in the country to help reduce road traffic accidents.
Closing a three-day workshop on enforcement of the road traffic Act No. 11 of 2002 in Siavonga, Mateyo observed that it was imperative to develop a road safety strategy because the country currently experienced a lot of accidents.
Mateyo, who was represented by director police administration Standwell Lungu, further observed that it was through development of a work plan and legal enforcement of traffic law that unimaginable road carnage could be avoided.
"It shall remain government policy to deal sternly with all those that violate the law regarding road use. I wish to implore all police officers and members of RTSA Road Traffic and Safety Agency to treat the enforcement of these laws as noble duty," he said.
Mateyo reminded the police and RTSA workers that all those that engaged in corruption would face the wrath of the law and be dealt with severely.
However, he bemoaned the lack of a formal and comprehensive offences list that includes fines at both police and RTSA level, saying deliberate efforts were needed to develop standards for traffic offences.
"In an effort to improve the administration of enforcement vis-a-vis- the management of fees paid for various offences, a deliberate effort is needed to develop common procedures and standards for traffic offences and attendant penalty fee listed in the statute books," he said.
Mateyo added that a working task force had already been established for the consolidation of road signs and traffic offences.
Mateyo also announced that from next year a common enforcement work plan would be developed by both police and RTSA each year to focus on resources required for effective road traffic law enforcement.
And RTSA deputy director of transport Robert Mtonga said in an interview that the objective of the workshop was to orient participants to the road traffic Act No. 11 of 2002.
Mtonga said the workshop was also designed to identify offences that exist and categorize them into impoundable and non-impoundable offences to come up with a framework of administering the traffic offences.
"We want to come up with a formal way of administering road traffic offences which is going to be standard and be followed by whoever is implementing it. But in order to do this we will need a budget," he said.
However, Mtonga assured that implementation of the work plan that includes the budget would be almost immediate saying currently RTSA had managed to source about K1.4 billion for enforcing activities in all provinces.
And Kaping'a said motorists would be forced to be cautious on the road once patrols on the highways were introduced, as they would not be in a position to know when the police would pounce on them.
Kaping'a said expensive as it might be, the culprits must be made to bear the costs by handing them heavy fines.
"You may be interested to learn that traffic police checkpoints are very common in Central and Copperbelt provinces and yet the anarchy on the roads continues. Traffic check points especially in the said provinces have become a circus," he said.
Kaping'a said when minibus drivers with 'ramshackle minibuses' got a signal from their colleagues that there was a police checkpoint ahead, they would park their buses by the roadside until the roadblock was dismounted.
Kaping'a said if by any chance the drivers were asked to pull over by the police, negotiations would commence after which they would proceed as if nothing happened.
Road traffic accidents have in the past been rife, leading to loss of life.
University Teaching Hospital (UTH) spokesperson Kennedy Makukula on Monday said the institution received over 111 cases of road traffic accidents last week alone.
Labels: EPHRAIM MATEYO, ROADS, TRANSPORT
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Nabanda slams contractor's road rehab works
By Mulimbi Mulaliki in Solwezi
Tuesday April 29, 2008 [04:00]
CARITAS Zambia Solwezi Diocese coordinator Frederick Nabanda has said rehabilitation works on the Solwezi-Mwinilunga road by Raubex Contractors are not satisfactory. In his letter of complaint to works and supply minister Kapembwa Simbao, Nabanda stated that the unsatisfactory works being done on the trunk road were of great public concern. But Ministry of Works and Supply permanent secretary Lieutenant Colonel Bizwayo Nkunika said the complaints by Caritas were premature because the road works were still going on. Nabanda stated that it was very difficult to distinguish whether the road was being tarred or gravelled as in some areas they were just patching up potholes.
"If you had an opportunity to come and see for yourself as the works are going on, it is very difficult to distinguish that these people are tarring or gravelling the road that was already tarred a long time ago. This is evidenced by the fact that we have seen potholes being patched up with gravel and in some areas of the road where there is tar covering it with gravel," read Nabanda's letter in part.
Nabanda explained that Solwezi Diocese Bishop Alick Banda also expressed concern over the quality of work being carried out by Raubex Contractors.
"This is of great concern to us because the public have raised a lot of questions and they bring them to us knowing that CCJDP is an advocacy organisation in the Catholic Church which can quickly ask government to intervene to ensure that our resources are not being wasted by contractors doing shoddy work. Government appears not to be concerned," stated Nabanda.
But Lt Col Nkunika said contrary to Caritas' assertions that the contractor was doing a bad job, he visited the road under rehabilitation and the works going on were to standards.
"Those complaints are premature, they are complaining before the work was complete. Let them go to Mutanda and see for themselves where they have completed. The road is going to have a new surface," he said.
Nkunika explained that Raubex Contractors had completed stage one of the work and they were now applying double seal on the road so that there was good surface road.
Labels: CARITAS, CONTRACTORS, FREDERICK NABANDA, ROADS
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ACC probes NRFA director
By Mwila Chansa and Noel Sichalwe
Tuesday April 29, 2008 [04:00]
THE Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is investigating National Road Fund Agency (NRFA) director Raphael Mabenga for allegedly making a double payment of US $1 million to China Henan. ACC acting public relations manager Chiko Halwiindi yesterday confirmed that they have instituted investigations against Mabenga.
"I wish to confirm that the commission has instituted investigations into the matter. So far valuables have been obtained and being analysed," Halwiindi said. "However, we cannot give further details on the matter as the investigations are going on. You will be advised on the outcome in due course."
According to the letter of complaint by an anonymous concerned citizen addressed to President Levy Mwanawasa on May 6, 2008, Mabenga in 2006 is alleged to have deliberately made a double payment with the understanding that the company could gain interest on the amount and refund NRFA later.
However, NRFA questioned the payment and that Mabenga then e-mailed China Henan to refund the money after it had accrued substantial interest in the bank.
It is further alleged that Mabenga was paid money from the interest earned by China Henan.
It is also alleged that in 2006, Mabenga had travelled to New Zealand for official business where he met a man named Alan Kinard and upon his return, awarded a tender to Kinard to conduct a Road User Charges Study worth US $46,000 without tender authority. Afterwards Kinard was paid US $46,000 and Mabenga was paid about US $8,000.
It is further alleged that Mabenga in 2007, unilaterally and without tender authority renewed a contract for the insurance of NRFA assets to a named insurance company without tender authority.
Later NRFA paid about K302 million on December 5, 2007 on cheque number 549 and Mabenga was in turn allegedly paid K10 million by the insurance representative who handled the transaction.
"Sir, we know that the limit for a chief executive officer in a government agency to give a contract is only K50 million. Mr Mabenga has overlooked this in order to make money for himself," the letter of complaint stated.
According to the complaint, Mabenga was required under the law to consult and seek the approval of the Zambia National Tender Board or the tender committee prior to signing any contract valued at over K50 million.
It was observed that Mabenga's action eroded the much needed transparency and accountability in the public procurement system.
Labels: ACC, NRFA, ROADS
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Rev Chama challenges Zambians to work hard
By Mutuna Chanda
Wednesday April 23, 2008 [04:00]
NOBODY will improve the lives of Zambians if they do not take it upon themselves, acting Anglican Church Archbishop for Central Africa Reverend Albert Chama has said.
And Caritas Zambia executive director Sam Mulafulafu has said
the government must provide an enabling environment for people, especially those in rural areas, to improve themselves.
In an interview on Monday, Rev Chama said time had passed when people expected the government to do everything for them. Rev Chama's comments come in the wake of concerns over development disparities between people in rural and urban areas.
He said much as there were differences in the levels of development between rural and urban areas as well as the urban poor, citizens had the responsibility of working hard and not depend entirely on the government.
"Citizens have to be proactive and stand up and be counted," Rev Chama said. "Of course it is the primary responsibility of the government to provide the basic necessities to its citizens but they also have to take responsibility for improving their lives."
He said the state was already involving citizens in development programmes but that more needed to be done.
"We have the government involving different groups such as the Church, NGOs and other partners in development," Rev Chama said.
He urged the government to be more inclusive in development matters.
"The state has to begin to encourage people to be involved in development programmes like they have done in some of the initiatives where they have involved the church in distributing mosquito nets to communities among other areas," said Rev Chama.
Rev Chama is acting Archbishop Anglican Church for Central Africa overseeing Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Malawi.
And Mulafulafu said it was very difficult for people especially in rural areas to improve their lives in the absence of sufficient infrastructure that would help them develop.
"For people to improve themselves there must be basic infrastructure such as roads and electricity but when you look at the present setup, there is so much concentration of development in urban areas. It's like Zambia is Lusaka and yet that is not the case in rural areas. As a result, we have so many people moving from rural areas into urban areas causing congestion," Mulafulafu observed. "There are many people who want to invest in rural areas but they are discouraged because there is no basic infrastructure. Even those who are there now because of poor roads, they are unable to reach the market for the things that they produce."
He said the government's major preoccupation should be to improve basic infrastructure in rural areas to enable people there take it upon themselves to improve their lives.
"Even in the context of the Citizens Economic Empowerment Fund, we hope that enough will be done to ensure that people from rural areas benefit from it to improve their lives because it has been too much of people in urban areas having all the benefits," said Mulafulafu.
Labels: ALBERT CHAMA, DEVELOPMENT, ROADS, RURAL AREAS, SAM MULAFULAFU, WORK ETHIC
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Govt seeks K50bn for Zimba-Livingstone road
By Bright Mukwasa in Mulobezi
Monday April 07, 2008 [04:00]
WORKS and supply minister Kapembwa Simbao has said the government needs about K50 billion to work on the Zimba-Livingstone road. In an interview after inspecting road works in Southern Province last week, Simbao said the road was becoming a source of concern and required to be attended to immediately.
Simbao said the Zimba - Livingstone road could have been worked on but the government was awaiting money form donors which had not yet been made available.
He said it was a pity that the road had continued to be in a deplorable state.
“We will start doing the road while we await donor money; there’s money from the European Union but it has not been made available due to some complications concerning paper work, so we need to put something aside, like K50 billion, for the road,” Simbao said.
He also said the contractor working on the Mulobezi road had temporarily stopped works because they required extra money for gravel for the road. He also expressed concern at the Sesheke - Livingstone road which had developed cracks.
Simbao reiterated the need to start redesigning most bridges in the country in order to make them stronger to brave natural calamities like floods.
Labels: KAPEMBWA SIMBAO, MINISTRY OF WORKS AND SUPPLY, ROADS
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Bad state of roads
By Gady Mwamba Museka, Mazabuka
Tuesday March 25, 2008 [03:00]
The first three days of last week, I visited, for the first time, Namwala district in Southern Province, using Choma-Namwala road. The road is bad and I am sure it has never been attended to for a long time! Good roads are a catalyst for development through opening up of areas and markets.
I was left wondering that despite the huge sums of money designated for the rehabilitation of roads in the country; most of our roads have remained in a terrible state. Urgent remedy is required! mere political rhetoric is not enough to get the roads to a useable state. One wonders why the government has not found any solution to the perpetual problem of road rehabilitation. Most roads have gone from bad to worse. The very many potholes and detours mean that vehicles keep breaking down so that on many of the country's roads, emergency mechanics have sprung up to assist stranded commuters, sometimes with disastrous consequences. Vehicle owners are in distress, as their vehicles are not used optimally and coupled with poorly planned or non-existent drainage, it even makes roads poorer. Additionally, there are many bridges without any warning signs and no handrails. Vehicles have been known to plunge into the rivers with grave consequences. The road to Namwala is so bad that vehicles using that road consistently retire to a mechanic's workshop at the end of every journey.
I also observed another problem; Zambian roads are not designed for expansion. As the volume of traffic increases, road construction should be seen to be keeping pace accordingly! The road network suffers from inadequate routine maintenance, neglect of periodic maintenance and absence of emergency maintenance in areas affected by floods and other natural calamities. This in turn shortens the lifespan of the roads, resulting in premature and costly road reconstruction, while poor surface increases the operating costs of vehicles and has significant effect on road safety. One of the dangers resulting from bad roads is the increase in the loss of lives through accidents and frequent attacks by armed robbers who capitalise on the bad road to pounce on their victims when they slow down to either avoid or pass bad portions.
After my mission in Namwala I went to Livingstone, the road from Zimba to Livingstone is also another area of concern which needs urgent attention.
What is very clear is that the contractors and their supervisors have done an inferior job of repairing the roads; the billions of kwacha spent on the roads in the past years bore little fruit. Worse still, little efforts have been made to find out what went wrong. For the above reason, one can suspect that contractors are awarded contracts they do not know anything about. So what they do is re-award the contracts to competent construction companies after taking their own commission.
Then, the companies that will finally do the contract will get their commission as well and in the end the money designated for the contract will not be enough to go for quality materials, hence forcing the contractors to go for sub-standard materials which would not last for two years after construction, depending on how busy the road is. Let us prioritise the repairs of roads throughout the country!!
Labels: ROADS
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President Kikwete offered his perspective on infrastructure obstacles to growth in Tanzania, including how the donor community, private sector, and African governments can work together to find new and innovative ways to bring power and roads to Africa. The president's remarks were followed by a roundtable discussion with experts on African economic development.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC6AVMm1Z3g&feature=userLabels: ROADS, TANZANIA, YOUTUBE
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Uganda hopes to learn from Zambia's road management
By Kabanda Chulu
Wednesday March 19, 2008 [03:00]
MEMBERS of the
Ugandan Road Fund have stated that there is need to learn from Zambia on the best practices and institutional framework of managing the road sector in their country. And finance deputy minister Jonas Shakafuswa observed that Zambia was getting benefits of having separated road sector institutions because it brought about financial discipline through transparency and accountability.
During their visit to specific Zambian ministries and departments by Ugandan members of parliament and members of the Ugandan Road Fund Task Force, delegation leader Tindamanyire Gadioso said Uganda was in the process of forming a road fund and had identified Zambia as one of the countries with road fund management best practices.
“Uganda has more to learn from Zambia’s road sector institutional framework and the operations of the National Road Fund Agency (NRFA) in particular,” said Gadioso. “And the outcome of our visit will make it possible to fast track the finalisation of all the mandatory arrangements leading to the passing of the Uganda Road Fund Bill 2007 into an Act of Parliament."
So far the Ugandan delegation had visited the ministries of finance, works and supply, local government and housing, communications and transport and road sector agencies in order to acquire in-depth understanding of the overall operations of Zambia’s road fund and its contribution to the performance of the road transport sector and national development.
He said the National Road Fund Act 13 of 2002 created the NRFA and was responsible for administering and managing all financial resources in the road sector.
"The monies which come from fuel levy, government allocations, loans and grants, are used to fund the core road network and has immensely contributed to economic development of the country through efficient movement of goods and services,” said Shakafuswa.
Labels: NATIONAL ROAD FUND ACT 13, NRFA, ROADS, SHAKAFUSWA, UGANDA
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Emusa/Chikwa rd rehabilitation delays worry Eastern MPs
By Christopher Miti
Monday March 17, 2008 [03:00]
MEMBERS of parliament from Chama South and Chansefu constituencies have expressed disappointment over the delay by the Eastern Province administration and the roads department to complete the rehabilitation works of the Emusa/Chikwa road. Mines deputy minister Boniface Nkhata said it was unfortunate that the road was abandoned despite being funded K555 million in last year’s budget.
“I know that this road was allocated some funds something like K555 million because I’m a former minister of the province, but why is it that rehabilitation works have been abandoned? They stopped at Chasato game area. I have asked the roads engineer about this but all he tells me is that I should ask the provincial administration.
I can say anything on this matter because am disappointed if there is somebody who wants to counter react let him do so,” he said.
Nkhata said the stretch of the road that had not been repaired was in a very deplorable state.
“The abandoning of this project pains me because I fought for the release of this money. Now that the project has been abandoned I don’t know where the other money to go for this project would come from,” said Nkhata.
And Chifumu Banda who is also FDD vice-president appealed to government and the Road Development Agency (RDA) to check on the abandoned project.
Eastern Province minister Charles Shawa said he would investigate the matter because he was new in the province.
Labels: PROJECT MANAGEMENT, ROADS
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Govt's reversal of new road user fees deceitful - Sata
By Patson Chilemba
Friday February 29, 2008 [16:00]
GOVERNMENT’S directive for the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) to withdraw the administrative memorandum on the proposed increment of new road user charges is temporary and deceitful, Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata has charged. And minibus drivers today picketed Parliament to declare the user fees null and void in the interest of good governance and peace in society.
Commenting on Transport and Communications minister Dora Siliya’s directive to RTSA management to withdraw the administrative memorandum and wait for consultations with her ministry, which would issue the applicable statutory instruments, Sata said there was no need to make any consultations.
He said it was fruitless for government to consult because what the Zambian people have demanded was that there should be no alteration to the existing user charges.
“She has done a temporary good gesture with lots of hidden deceit in that thing,” he said.
Sata charged that government had an input in the new user charges because if it were not so, RTSA could not have gathered the courage to announce them.
He said former transport ministers Peter Daka and Sarah Sayifwanda should explain to Zambians their input in the “corrupt” user charges.
“The minister (Siliya) acted on impulse because she knew by Monday, there would have been no transport because Zambia could have been on a standstill. Probably, people could have used ministers’ vehicles or in far flang areas, the President’s jet,” Sata said.
He said government agencies such as RTSA, Energy Regulation Board (ERB), and Food Reserve Agency (FRA) should be scrapped off because they have proved inefficient.
Sata said in the case of RTSA, government should instead empower the Zambia Police service to carry out traffic related matters.
On Friday, Siliya said the public should ignore the fees which were supposed to be effected today and instead wait for an announcement from the ministry.
RTSA had resolved, among other things, that people wishing to have personalised registration numbers for their cars would pay K10 million per mark from the current K1 million.
And motorists yesterday said they would reject any alteration to the user charges. The drivers picketed parliamentarians as they made way into Parliament grounds.
In a letter addressed to Siliya, which was also distributed to all members of parliament, the Zambia Association of Motorists stated that as far as they were concerned, RTSA had no legal powers to prescribe or revise user fees because fees could only be revised by an Act of Parliament or a statutory instrument.
“Standing procedures require consultations with our body and other interested persons before new road user fees are introduced,” read the letter in part.
The motorits stated that it was in this vain that they were asking Parliament to declare the new fees null and void.
Some parliamentarians, especially those from the opposition, took the letter as they made their way into Parliament.
However, some ministers just drove in and did not get the letters.
The motorists’ peaceful protest was short-lived when police from Chilanga were brought in to monitor the situation.
The motorists who seemed intimidated at the arrival of the police quickly rushed into their buses and left.
Labels: ROADS, RTSA
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Morality and leaders
By Mwewa Lombe
Monday February 18, 2008 [03:00]
It is hard to be inspired by our government and political leaders when one looks at how myopically they discuss and attend to national issues. The bureaucracy in the civil service takes advantage of this myopic approach from our leaders by misusing, misappropriating and even stealing government funds. If one visited any government office, one would actually see the lack of activity that exists in almost all government offices. Our leaders are more pre-occupied with swimming in luxury.
Actually, it now is evident that the political system we have in Zambia does not serve the common man, but the immoral leaders who want to continue exploiting the majority of us. Visit any ministry headquaters and you will be shocked to see the number of vehicles parked.
As a country, we do not even worry about the high consumption of energy or fuel or that we do not have a single oil field, yet the whole world is considering rationalisation of the consumption of fuel/energy.
Even our so-called elite few in government have lamentably failed to give direction to the country as they are blinded by the luxury the government offers them.
Are they not ashamed of the massive failures when they make public statements? Anyway, morality is lacking in our leaders.
http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=37756
State of roads in Barotseland
By Lishebo Mubiana
Monday February 18, 2008 [03:00]
Memories of the failed Mongu-Kalabo road are still fresh. There is, however, a new hope that the road will be done and completed under an improved design. This, at least, has been pronounced by the Republican President himself and his technocrats.
If what is currently obtaining in Barotseland had been initiated 20 years ago, we wouldn’t be referring to this province today as the poorest.
The Roads Development Agency should be commended for the vigour and vibrancy it has exhibited through its current robust Western province regional manager.
For the first time, the people in the province feel part of the decision-making process vis-à-vis road construction, as evidenced last week from 4 to 7 February in Mongu at the stakeholders' consultative Strategic Environmental Assessment workshop on the Senanga-Sesheke road project which drew participants from various walks of life.
We are now feeling the presence of the department of roads in the province as the RDA’s regional manager is available to ably explain government programmes and projects at forums like the Provincial Development Coordinating Committee meetings.
The Kaoma-Kasempa road has been opened up while the Lukulu road has been rehabilitated. Also, the Chinese are working on the Kaoma-Mongu and the Mongu-Senanga roads and the Limulunga-Ushaa road are under rehabilitation.
Mongu is in addition looking beautiful with the recently rehabilitated township roads. The province will soon be connected to Namibia through an upgraded Mongu-Sesheke road.
The Luampa-Mulobezi road is about to be worked on while the Matebele-Shangombo road will be rehabilitated this year with support from DANIDA. But the Simungoma-Mulobezi road has serious quality problems and the RDA has to check the Namibian contractor working on this road.
With the opening up of many good roads in the province, it will be proved that Western Province is actually the richest in the country. Mwanawasa, please give us the Mongu-Kalabo road.
http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=37759
Glaring financial irregularities
By Dr Makasa M Emmanuel
Monday February 18, 2008 [03:00]
It has now become common in Zambia for the Auditor General's report to reveal glaring financial irregularities in ministries, yet no action at all is taken. And this is a country that preaches zero tolerance against corruption? Surprisingly, the obvious culprits are still in place.
We appreciate George Kunda's talk that the government has delegated the responsibility of managing public funds to controlling officers so that there is no political interference. But these controlling officers are the ones who are not being held accountable.
We all know that the position of permanent secretary though in the civil service, is a political appointment.
We want to see an end to this daylight robbery of public funds.
We now want corrective measures to be taken because we cannot afford to continue borrowing money from donors and paying tax so that some unscrupulous individuals can waste it while we watch.
http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=37705
Abuse of public funds
By Godfrey Mambwe Kaoma
Sunday February 17, 2008 [03:00]
While I don't entirely agree with Mike Mulongoti's statement that the government should not be blamed for the evident abuse of public funds by civil servants (The Post, February 15, 2008);
I would appreciate if the minister could inform the nation on how much fruit have been borne out of those alarming revelations that were made through the Auditor General's report. Just a few weeks ago, what happened at the local government and housing ministry? Colossal amounts of tax payers' money remained unaccounted for; oh shame, mother Zambia!
While giving directives to audit suspected or wanting missions abroad or otherwise is one good gesture(as the minister bragged), taking appropriate measures is also another.
Issuance of mere directives and then remaining mute when it comes to prosecuting erring officials is as good as punching a dead lion.
What is lacking on the part of the government is focus, resulting into misplaced priorities when it comes to fighting this scourge. This is why to this day, we see corrupt officials "dinning" together with their masters; and the politicians are the worst kind.
When if not now, will our new deal government take a leaf from what President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania did? He dissolved his cabinet! Or are we asking too much from our Zambian leaders?
http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=37757
Zesco's lack of planning
By Davies C. Chileshe
Monday February 18, 2008 [03:00]
I wish to express my disappointment over the current Zesco power outages. Zesco, like many other companies in Zambia, is so much interested in collecting money from people rather than improving the services it offers.
Since 2005 or so when Zesco introduced load shedding, nothing good so far has been achieved apart from the constant increase in the number of power cuts. I doubt so much the competence of its administration.
It appears that the administration lacks proper planning. They only plan for today and forget about tomorrow.
We know that the world is constantly changing and that the way it is today is very much different from the way it was yesterday. That’s why it will be illogical to rely on the hydropower system that was installed by the colonial administration to continue supplying power efficiently.
Today's population is probably five times larger than it was then and we can’t deny that the number of industries that need power has also increased. I’m bitter at the pace at which they have responded to this power crisis.
Most probably, the administration is quite incompetent because the pace at which it works is slower than that of the problem. Initially, we were experiencing load shedding for one hour or so in days, but now we are experiencing it several hours within a day.
The money they get from people is actually more than enough to improve the system. However, they consider the investment in their selfish pockets preferencial. God forbid! I become even more bitter to hear that some political parties are being funded by this company.
If the government is involved in mysterious dealings, who then will intervene in this situation?
Zambians are not blind, whatever transpires between Zesco and the government is well known. The government's silence over the Zesco administration actually speaks volumes.
Labels: CORRUPTION, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, ROADS, ZESCO
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Fundanga's interview
By Chabala Mubili,Canada
Friday February 01, 2008 [03:00]
As Shipota has pointed out in his Post letter of January 27, 2008, Dr. Caleb Fundanga has done reasonably well at Bank of Zambia. But I was saddened to learn from Caleb's interview that his financial system gives "everybody access to finances". This, in my considered view, is a weakness and I know of no other country that gives foreigners (the so-called investors or is it ‘infestors’!) the same access to finances as its own citizens.
Even closer to home in Botswana, you are not allowed to access finances as a foreign investor. In fact, you will be required to have a certain amount of money to be accepted as an investor.
The reason is simple; such a policy of blanket access to finances puts citizens at a disadvantage. While Zambians rely only on local banks for finances, foreign investors have unfettered access to finances from banks in their countries of origin. So this obviously tilts the equilibrium in favour of foreign investors, who are only there to make money, and do not care about Zambia’s development.
Foreign investors must bring money into local banks and not take money out of them. That is the practice in other countries, and that is why you see Zambians readily accepting residence and/or citizenship in those countries; they can have access to credit and other facilities.
I am, however, hopeful that the soon-to-come “Credit Reference Bureau”, if properly implemented, will fix this financial weakness. I, therefore, appeal to Fundanga to ensure that foreign investors are subjected to even longer periods than their Zambia counterparts to build their credit before they can be allowed limited access to local finances.
http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=37026
Mend the roads
By Mukomwa Kambwali,Lusaka
Friday February 01, 2008 [03:00]
It brings to mind unbearable sadness why we Zambians live our lives as though we were living for others. A point in mind is why our leaders cannot see logic in feeding the "goose that lays the golden eggs".
Any sensible civic leader knows, if he knows nothing else, that most revenue for the councils is raised from the transport sector, markets and shops. Surprisingly, very little, if anything, is done to motivate these businesses.
Anyone who has recently gone to Intercity Bus Terminus or Kamwala shopping area in Lusaka cannot help but wonder whether the businesses there pay for services of the Lusaka City Council. If they do, why are the roads in these two business places so neglected? Whose obligation is it to repair those roads, the businesses or the LCC? Heavy rains should not be an excuse for this blatant incompetence.
At national level, we hear ZRA and the Ministry of Finance boasting about how much money they have collected above the targeted amount and how much has been left unspent, on the one hand, while on the other, we wallow in misery.
We may be making impressive economic progress on paper but can we translate this into reality? Surely we don't need a Chinese consultant, or donor aid, to tell the strong correlation between motivated businesses and national income. Someone needs to explain to me what the role of local government is in this socio-political dispensation that Chiluba left us with!
http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=37030
Leadership qualities
By John Milimo,Lusaka
Friday February 01, 2008 [03:00]
One fundamental leadership quality is lucidity of vision. A good leader must always have a clear and distinct vision of what he wants to achieve.
This vision must be convincing and the people must see it as that which is practical and able to alleviate their problems from their present state to a better future. With this in mind, the motivation to reach the desired goal can easily be cultivated.
Most of our leaders do not have a sense of direction and vision once given leadership positions, they do not deliver. Such leaders cannot solve our problems but in fact, become a problem themselves.
Labels: CALEB FUNDANGA, ROADS
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