THE Road Development Agency (RDA) has described as misleading a statement by United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema alleging that the recently constructed Choma-Namwala road is of sub-standard.
Mr Hichilema claimed during the Radio Phoenix ‘Let the people talk’ programme on Tuesday that the road is of low quality although colossal sums of money were spent on it.
But RDA head of public relations Loyce Saili said it is unfortunate that some politicians are assuming the role of road experts.
She said in an interview yesterday that the statement by Mr Hichilema and other sections of the public is misleading and lacks merit.
Mrs Saili challenged Mr Hichilema and others to disclose the standards used to arrive at their judgement.
“The problem we have is that everyone wants to become an expert. As RDA, we are democrats and so we wouldn’t want to dwell much on attacks from politicians but I wonder what measure was used by those claiming that the road is of low quality?
“Are they saying that the gravel road, which was there before, is better than the surfacing we have done? Of course the construction and surfacing of roads vary from one road to the other but what I can say is that the work we have done on the Choma-Namwala road is excellent,” Mrs Saili said.
She said the agency is satisfied with works carried out on the road and is confident that the contractor delivered a good product.
Mrs Saili said when the road was in its bad state, it used to take three to four hours to travel through it.
She said motorists will now be taking an hour after the completion of works.
“Those who have been to this particular road can attest that it is a good product which, as RDA, we are proud of. In the past, people used to face a number of difficulties to travel using the road but it is easier now,” she said.
Mrs Saili said the people of Southern Province are happy with the road and wondered why some people have decided to politicise the issue.
On Monday, President Banda commissioned the Choma-Namwala road.
Mr Banda said he was proud to witness the completion of the road whose construction had turned into a political song as people cried out to have it completed.
“The road to Namwala has been a song, a prayer of the people of Southern Province. We have fixed it just like the Lusaka-to-Livingstone road. We are happy that we have done it. We don’t just talk. We do not just promise, but fulfill them,” he said.
President Banda said his government has continued to invest in infrastructure development such as roads, schools and hospitals.
He said this development is not only being implemented in areas where he received a lot of votes but all the parts of the country.
Mr Banda said as a national leader, he is president of all Zambians regardless of their political affiliation.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
MMD is doing very well in roads networks. These are developments our hard working President H.E RB had been promising the Nation. We are now seeing more light at the end of the tunnel.
I feel RDA shold not defend itself this way. Investigate and findout. This is why we allow shoddy works going on on our roads. Can RDA tell the nation also that the Luanshya-masangano road is of high quality. That road is not even five years old and is full of potholes. It is now being patched. A standard road should last over 10 – 15 years without a single pothole. Go to the Mufumbwe – Chavuma road and confirm this. That road is standard, high quality because the contractor is up to the task. If the Choma Namwala road is substandard, the contractor should be made to pay unless there was collusion, hence the much dancing over it
Since when did HH cease to be an Economist and become an Expert in Civil and Road Engineering? I find some arguments petty no wonder no newspaper covered his program on Phoenix including the famous Vuvuzela for the PF.
The rainy season is around the corner. We will wait and see if the Road is trully high quality.
Meanwhile, you can celebrate for now.
Well HH can you please an orthodentist to wire your foul mouth ,your careless talk is worse than Sata’a because you are educated than him.
At least the road has been improved from gravel to tarmac , that is what is important. What people should be asking is whether the contractor followed the specifications and what these specifications were. Don’t just trash everything done GRZ just because you are in opposition. It is so worrying that people see corruption in everything done by GRZ. As for # 2, the consulting engineers are to blame for the poor output on the Luanshya junction/turnoff road.
All roads in Zambia are of poor standards, not because of mediocrity but because of insufficient funding and the lack of planning ahead for excessive traffic. In the developed world, a road is built to withstand the traffic burden 20 years or so from now. We build roads without taking this into consideration. The traffic is bound to increase beyond what the road can take, and it will not be long before the pot holes appear. I am not a civil engineer, but I have seen road construction in countries with similar weather and climate conditions as ours, and I know the difference. They would put down a substrate of concrete before asphalt. Then, there is yearly road maintenance. ‘A stitch in time saves nine.’
Prince Cobra is just jittery that this milestone might sway voters to the MMD.Give credit where it is due.
Is this the way a proffessional shld answer a president of a political party?Im very dissapointed at the cadreship we ve in these depts.In my view what she could have done is to explain the type of raods and categories in which this namwala rd falls.Whether first class,or third and so on and on.Y talk abt the Lstone-lsk Road 40km which has taken them 3yrs to complete.This is very shamefull to you mrs whatever.
I have recently driven on this road from Choma to Mbabala,the road is of poor quality, if it’s not washed by rains in the next 3 years, I will be supprised. If this is what Loyce Saili call high quality, my foot!!, Zambia is in trouble.
The other thing lacking on Zambian highways is adequate drainange and wide enough aprons. These are crucial in preserving the integrity of the road in the rain season. Running water is a powerful force of nature and if it is not channelled properly it will undermine the tarmac and weaken the substrate thereby predisposing to pot holes. I think this is common sense which I am sure our engineers already know about, but can only work within the limits of the funding.
The road in luanshya has been dug up deliberately by villages who want to create accidents so that they loot the victims. Please never use this road in the night, It nearly happened to me when I was driving through it, hit a pothole a a villager come running.
My friend once found boys digging up the road
Thought you people should have this information.
HH IS SICK AND THE THOUGHT OF GOING TO PLOT 1 HAS CLOGGED HIS HEAD CANT SEE ANY GOOD. HE COMES FROM TONGALAND AND INSTEAD OF SAYING THANK FOR TAKING DEVELOPMENT TO HIS AREA HE STARTS INSULTING. PRESIDENTIAL MATERIAL INDEED THATS WHY SATA AND HIS VUVUZELA THE POST DONT WANT TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH HIM UNDER FIVE INDEED. FIRST PAY YOUR SECURITY GUARDS AT COIN ZAMBIA THEN WE MIGHT THINK OF APPOINTING YOU DISTRICT COMMISIONER FOR MONZE
HH’s comments on the roads should be substantiated by fact. Has he been to see the road in question or that his comments are based on his puppets? HH has gone backwards with his association with Sata. He has taken UPND so backwards, the late Anderson Mazoka wouldn’t need Sata to be in State house (fact).
Mrs Saili: HH is speaking on behalf of UPND and not as an individual. UPND as a party have road experts who advise the president on such issues. What you need to question is why UPND think the road is of poor quality. Don’t try to sweep your incompetency under the carpet. You also need to tell us why it took 20 years to construct such a small section of road.
#14 INDEED SATA HOUNDED MAZOKA OUT OF MMD AND HE IS THE LAST PERSON HE WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU INHERIT WEALTH LIKE HH TAKING OVER UPND HE IS COMPLETELY AT A LOSS. HH EVEN CONDEMNED THE NEW ROADS IN CHALALA. HH KNOWS THAT ANY GOOD MOVE BY GOVT REDUCES HIS CHANCES OF EVER RULING. INDEED DOES HE THINK ZAMBIANS ARE SO DIM TO VOTE FOR HIM. HE ALWAYS GETS HIS VOTES FROM RELATIVES THOUGH HE KEEPS DENYING THIS FACT. HE IS WORRIED H.E. RB HAS ENTERED TONGALAND WITH A BANG NOT EMPTY PROMISES OF CALCULATOR BOY AND HIS COHOLT COBRA
Mrs Saili: HH is speaking on behalf of UPND and not as an individual. UPND as a party have road experts who advise the president on such issues. UPND have big brains, including professors, within their ranks who advise HH what to say. UPND is not a one man kantemba party were the opinion of one man matters more than anything else. What you need to question is why UPND think the road is of poor quality. Don’t try to sweep your incompetency
I think its become to of politics in Zambia, GRZ sells zamtel its problem, the complete a project its a problem, i think so times its nice just to better not to say anything, rather than talking nonsense, HH is slowly going down, if the oppostion will just take time opposing even developmental projects pipo will change their minds
Good one elite HH..! If other provinces are used to crap ,substandard Job then they can go to hell. the road is of poor works.if anyone cares,compare Choma-Namwala by China and tat of Monze-Zimba by EU.Dont bring go’nga to sacred, holy,prime zone of Zambia.coz of his shoddy road,he will get negative zero votes from southern province…!
#19 ILa gallantians is being unfair to RDA and the country at large, he lacks the love for people of the area who for forty years have been crying for this facility through their MPs.
If you don’t want the road please transfer it to the Luwingu Mansa section. We will be only too happy. We also hope RB will commission the Kasama Luwingu road this year. Those who want to eat politics, you are welcome to have it for dinner.
Hey Ba Saili.. presidents do get reports from experts withing the party, actually better placed than you. talk of Tembo!
What HH has said is the truth about this road. I drove on this road several times from Choma to Masonsa and I can testify that it is not even complate and I am wondering why the President is so desperate about it. The chocholis are still working on the drainage system. At ng’onga bridge there is a big hump which I fail to understand why it was left like that. There is a very thin layer of tarmac and by the end of the coming rain season pot holes will be the order of the day. The road is not yet divided into lanes, no margins on the sides of the road to show the driver where tarmac ends, no road signs,etc.There are still some stones on the road that are a hazard to windsreens of on coming vehicles. The best road in Southern Province is from Monze to Zimba, constructed by South Africans
If Mrs saili think they have fixed the Livingstone-Lusaka road, let travel by road from Lusaka to Mazabuka. The road is very bad between Munali and Mazabuka. There are craters, drum-holes what ever you can call them. Actually Mazabuka City Council were covering these holes with gravel two weeks ago and if nothing is done by the start of rain season that stretch of the road will be impassable. Even on places that have no drum holes, the vehicle is shaking when it passes. The road is not smooth, it is like you are driving on gravel. Since MMD came into power that road from Kafue Bridge to Mazabuka has been worked on twice but to no standard at all. People of Zambia deserve better roads. Monze -Zimba is a job very well done but constructor was not given another road, why? corruption