THE rehabilitation works of the 60-km Kalulushi-Lufwanyama Road which President Rupiah Banda commissioned on Monday has cheered the residents of the two districts who have said it will cushion the transport problems they have been facing for a long time.
Some residents interviewed in Kalulushi and Lufwanyama yesterday said they were delighted with the action taken to upgrade the road and pledged to support President Banda and the MMD Government in the September 20 elections.
Mulenga Kapapula said a superior Kalulushi-Lufwanyama Road would enhance development in the Lufwanyama because many traders from cities such as Kitwe and Ndola who had been shunning the area due to the poor state of the road would seek to establish their businesses in the rural district.
Mr Kapapula, who is a contractor, said Lufwanyama had much potential for different business undertakings but because of the dilapidated road from Kalulushi to Lufwanyama, the area had remained under-developed.
He said the distance from Kalulushi to Lufwanyama boma could normally be covered within one hour but because of the poor road, motorists took more than three hours.
Mr Kapapula said after the upgrading of the road, more farmers would be attracted to Lufwanyama which he observed had much potential for agriculture.
‘’I am telling you as people of Kalulushi and Lufwanyama who use that road we are extremely happy with the MMD Government under President Banda for flagging off the rehabilitation and construction of that road.
“What I can tell you is that you will see how Lufwanyama District will develop in terms of the economy. There is a lot of wealth in Lufwanyama but the bad road has made a lot of business persons shun the area,” he said.
Another resident, Job Hajindila said the upgrading of Kalulushi-Lufwanyama Road, which is popularly known as Kalengwa, would be a “dream come true” for the people of Lufwanyama.
Mr Hajindila said Lufwanayama had potential to become the food basket for the Copperbelt Province as many people in the district were farmers whose main hindrance to their businesses had been the poor state of the road, especially during the rainy season.
He said the people of Lufwanayama were rescued because the MMD had adequately attended to their transportation problem which they never thought it could come to an end at this time.
Mr Hajindila, who is a former Lufwanyama District Council chairperson, said apart from enhancing development in Lufwanyama, a rehabilitated road would help reduce accidents on Chingola-Solwezi Road as some motorist from the Copperbelt and Lusaka travelling to North-Western Province would be using it.
On Monday, President Banda flagged off the rehabilitation and construction of Kalulushi-Lufwanyama Road to bituminous standard at a cost of K123 billion.
Mr Banda said he was aware that the road was in a dilapidated state and that it had been taking travellers longer time to move between the two districts, hence his Government’s decision to source funds and find the contractor to work on the road.
The president said that it was his Government desire to ensure all infrastructure in Zambia were worked on to improve the living standards of the people.
[Times of Zambia]
Nafuti nafuti……
its govt responsibility to maintain infrastructure in the country using tax payers money.the article gives the impression that MMD who did the road and not Govt.
do something about the katunda – watopa road now
I can’t complain. I know the road well. Dodgy timing of the project but it works for me.
TOO LATE..DONCI KUBEBA
pf wawa!!!
this is good..RB is a working president..a president for the people…chwelaaaa…VOTE RB 2011
surely its evident that we have a working Gvt…my vote is for RB 2011 and the MMD
Emergency road rehabilitations. after the elections, all these so called road rehabilitations will come to a standstill till 2016!
Next budget, its tarmac
if only elections we’re every year bt. lets wait till we see tarmac
chweeechweeeechweee rb at work. if uv used this road before then u would really appreciate that rb is working
As a native of the area,there is nothing to get excited about the grading of the road.Lest people forget,this road has always been a campaign tool for MMD for sometime now.When Kavindele was Vice-president,he promised the road was going to be tarred.When last was Kavindele Vice President?Very soon it will be rain season and the road will only be open to trucks and 4 x 4
Lsk Roads are being done..Kitwe aswell…RB has led a hard working Gvt…i can not wait for the next 5 years..he will surely add more value
The more they build, the more we donchi kubeba!!!!!!
You can not praise your father for buying mealie meal in the house, he must be a useless father then… It’s the duty of any Govt to do this! This road was there before but run down and later graded to gravel, it’s just election time people don’t be too excited we have heard these stories many many times. Oh and the contractor mentioned here Kapapula he is standing on the same party MMD ticket as councillor for Kalengwa ward Kalulushi… what else could he honestly say??… We need that road whether UPND UNIP MMD PF or whatever Govt comes in it’s their job! Development would be Making Chingola – Kitwe Dual carriage way,,,, NOT maintaining roads that they have neglected esp when it’s voting time, People please WAKE UP!!
Roads are not supposed to be done in election year only. In fact that suggests theft from our treasury. If we had not budgeted for these roads how are we paying for them to be constructed? ACC, Public Protector,DEC dont just stand there; investigate and tell the people how the money is being stolen
Are we all blind that we can not see the tricks of RB.Recently he was at tamina to flag off the construction of the kasama/Mporokoso road with two dump trucks and a grader paraded to give an impression that works have commenced. The trucks have gone into oblivion.The same thing happened with the kasama mbesuma road and bridge.