GOVERNMENT plans to construct a dam and an electricity power plant of 750 Megawatts (MW) capacity below the existing plant on Kafue River under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects.
Toll roads, health centres, new prison facilities and schools have also been planned under the PPP projects in a major construction programme that will change the face of Zambia when implemented.
Director of the newly established PPP Unit at the Ministry of Finance and National Planning David Ndopu told the Sunday Mail in an interview that the objective of the Kafue Gorge Lower is to increase electricity generation capacity and enhance security of supply.
He said Government will sponsor the project through the Ministry of Energy and Water Development at an estimated cost of between US$1.5 million and US$1.8 million.
The private sector will construct and operate the dam and the electricity power station on a PPP known as Build Own Operate Transfer (BOOT) for a period of about five to six years.
Mr Ndopu urged Zambians to participate actively in the provision of goods and services under PPP. He said the project ideas will not come from Government alone, but from the private sector, too.
Mr Ndopu encouraged local investors to come up with brilliant sellable ideas and to form consortiums with other developers to enhance their credit-worthiness.
He said foreign investors will only be granted PPP projects on condition that they engage local people in the execution of the projects.
“If a foreign investor comes, we want to see how much he is involving local people. If he does not want to work with local people we will say no,” Mr Ndopu said.[quote]
According to the PPP master plan, Government is also seeking private sector partnerships in the construction of toll roads between Ndola and Lusaka, Chirundu-Lusaka, Livingstone-Lusaka and the Pedicle road that connects the Copperbelt to Luapula Province through the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Government is also considering a toll road that will connect the Lusaka International Airport to the lower Zambezi.
The road is expected to ease travel and transportation logistics of tourists arriving at the Lusaka International Airport and wishing to go to the lower Zambezi. This is expected to boost tourism.
Lower Zambezi will be developed into a satellite town of Lusaka at a cost of about US$2 billion.
The town will be tailored to cater for a population of about 500,000 people. Among the major developments earmarked for the satellite town are a 100,000 square metre shopping mall, three hotels (one of which will be five star) and three office parks.
Other auxiliaries of this project include a conference centre, high-density residential units and about 8,000 high-cost houses around the shopping mall.
The Government and the National Pension Scheme Authority are expected to sponsor this project.
This is the kind of positive news we expect to read on Lusaka Times. It inspires me and energizes me, filling my heart with warmth in this cold, cold winter land called Germany.
As PACT we are aginst such development, how are we going to convince people that Nyamasoya is not working if these projects succeed.
#2 These are good plans and that’s what matters. It doesn’t really matter which party is implementing them because they’re for the benefit of every Zambian.
On the other hand, I would also rather the PACT is given the opportunity to work out the development – MMD has had their chance for too long now.
“…the objective of the Kafue Gorge Lower is to increase electricity generation capacity…” Pretty obvious isn’t it? You don’t go and build a power station to decrease electricity supply do you?
Kanitundila, Nine Chale is very right, when it comes to positive deelopment for our people, lets put our political ambitions aside. We are calling for change, in the hope of the better livelihood of Zambians. If this government is attempting to do so let us upload them, and assist it attain its goals, in the interest of our people. We can find other means to attack the MMD politically, but on this one lets encourage them and hope that these aspirations are fufilled.
This is good news. Zambians should fully take advantage of the opportunities. We have been complaining for far too long for lack of development. Those who have noses sniff out the businesses before foreigner take them away. On the other hand we have heard of such grand projects that never materialize. Hope this sees the light of day. We are keenly watching.
I’m sorry we need 2 scale down our grand plan a little! A town for 500,000 is beyond our capacity. a simple 8km tar road outside my house has taken almost a year to do, laying of a fibre optic cable in lsk has taken just as long. no time frame has been given for this project, is it starting tomorrow, or just before 2011? Ask the people of nigeria the problems the came up with building a new town abuja.
I’m not against development projects, i’m a believer in mathematics, i believe things should add up.
I am happy to see the dreams. Selina Ndopu, I think you read too much into your husband’s statement.The man is trying to talk about increasing the current national generative capacity of 1631 MW (estimated demand is 1200 MW) to 1631+ 750 MW as the objective of the project. But 1.8 million is just too small for 750 MW. The problem is that local people may not have the capacity to participate or undertake such projects to meet international standards..
I subscribe and concur with # 4.You have a logic mind like i have.For example,if you build a water tank to cater for increased population you are basically increasing the capacity to cater for increased population!How then would a learned person make such a sordid statement.Boring!
Comments reserved, this plan sounds too ambitious.
See how much of these developmental ideas can be made real if nyamasoya can allow the $8million FTJ has in zamtrop account be registered and not entertain the Choogwe claims.. Zambia has enough money for serious developments but the people we vote for are so poor such that they think about their stomach first and their close relatives then what remains the chew it again and after ask for donor money which 75% ends in their pockets and the remaining is used for the developing of such projects which are doom for failure…And at the end of the year we all share the weights of the debts…putting things in perspective we can build about 10 of these hydro dams if Chiluba give back the money…
These are very good developments indeed. This will surely add to job creation and will surely change the face of Zambia. Well done.
Zambians are just used to embarrassment. This man Sata is being followed by the South African Police for the US$27,000 they confiscated from him at the airport when he was minister without port folio under Chiluba. Having a president with criminal records even internationally. What a shame. Why are we so poor in choosing people with Intergrity to represent us. Just even look at our national football team, we keep featuring people like Mbesuma who are tired and weak to play football, and expect ourselves to to better. Sata cannot be our good representative at all. The man is un ethical even the way he talks. People would rather fall back on RB than Sata. How can you elect a person who is full of insults and expect him to change when he is in power.
Before talking about the toll road from the International Airport to the Lower Zambia – work on the International Airport first — including a second runway due cater for increased traffic later. Similarly, Ndola and Livingstone. The road from the International Airport to the DER Junction needs to be expanded. A dual carriageway from Chipata to Mongu should also be included in the plan. Good ideas now we shall ask you for progress.
Words are words, why do we need a new city in Lower Zambezi? For what?
I hope these are not just grandiose plans full of smoke and no substance!!! If govt is serious about this, Zambians will surely fall in line. But govt need to convince citizens that they are serious this time around, and not the same old, same old—–same stuff that Zambians have heard before and has turned them into hardcore cynics.
The $1.5m to $1.8m is not to build the power plant but for capacity building, workshops, seminars, purchase of latest land cruiser for directors and latest hilux for staff.
I hope and pray these projects can come to pass. Zambia would do well with them, I also hope a lot Zambians can be involved and good stakes in the business. Abash poverty
#7 Mandigo. I agree with you. If you cannot even sort out / recapitalise INDENI or replace two of the 4 turbines at Kafue gorge whose breakdown has caused Zambia’s blackouts and load shedding, ho can I indulge my mind in this steamy Orgy? besides the plans have been written, documented and shelved somewhere for time in memorial. 1st, 2nd and 3rd republics. Nothing new.
But digga be positive. Lets hope and facilitate the succes , it works in Zambians interest. The fact that failure has been experinced before does not mean that we should write off success.
Actually such negativity saddens me. If we are so negative, its time we stopped blaming the leaders for the mess the Country and took the blame ourselves. The leaders come from among us the citizens and if you have pipo digga ns mandingo and they become leaders then we will not make the strides that we should
Positivist i’m not being negative, i’m being honest. if you have a 5 year old child who you’ve never educated, you can’t say i’ll educate my next 3 children without first tackling the problems which prevented u from educating 1. building a town of 500,000 is a major undertaking, lumwana is one such example, building a 750mw dam is no small job either. it’s all well and good to have these plans, can u tell me when they intend to start, or where exactly it’ll be? are there people there who’ll need to be relocated, will the dam flood some area, etc. just watch national geographic mega structures program. i’m an accountant and believe in figures not just talk
If you remember correctly great east road was supposed to be 6 lanes, the plans were there, politicians and bureaucrats talked about it and now if u drive on that road you’ll see it’s 4 lanes, the ring roads were a song we heard every day for a long time, they still don’t exist.
Funny #23 Mandingo. I’m an accountant too. Execution of projects of this magnitude is serious business. Not project proposals sitting in drawers whose funding is speculative.
But to both you accountants. A proposal starts some where and Lumwana as you have mentioned is a big project and it is there. I am an economist and and I know these projects will always face hurdles, and the mind set i advocate is how can the hurdles be over come. one should ASK ok, 500,00 is very large what other economic activity can be done to help. Ideas ae welcome. Not to look at failed projects and deem any planned project a failureI am also aware that there are private developers who want to put some some major tourist facilities in Zambezi.
Oh and mandingo. i know pipo who have made serious mistakes in their life but gone on to become champions. And what makes you think that all those questions you have asked have not been tackled. Questions like how mant pipo will be displaced. It is a sad fact that some of these adeas are twenty plus years pld but always look to success stories like Lumwana, the tele communications industry and even tourism to get inspiration
POSITIVIST i’m sorry to say the system in zed currently has no capacity to handle such projects. i’m not saying govt, but the system. a project of this magnitude requires serious planning, people need to know and agree in advance that they’ll be moved or they’ll file an injunction to block the works, people will need to know the areas to be worked on so that that land isn’t given away to other developers. even the funding needs to be known and secured, we can’t assume people will come invest. is napsa a voluntary investor or were they forced to invest. this plan has already been hatched and will most likely take off as is.
In Zambia before concluding we need to know who said it weather a low level cadre of high up official, where they said it whether at a rally in shangombo or serious event, how they said it whether looking serious or not, and who they said it to whether praise dancers or a serious crowd