Government has reduced by over 70 percent the offer purchase prices for 141 housing units for Kapiri Glass Products (KGP) to former employees.

District Commissioner, Kunda Mwila said government reduced the prices after a petition from the former workers complaining that the earlier offered purchase prices for the houses were too high.

Government had pegged the two categories of KGP houses between K56 and K18 million but seeing that it was beyond the affordability of beneficiaries, the State has reduced the purchase prices to K10 for high cost houses which were priced at K56 million.

The purchase offers for the houses will be in lieu of terminal benefits for former workers who owned houses at the time the company closed in 1998.

Former employees who did not occupy the company houses will receive their terminal benefits in full.

At a purchase offer giving ceremony yesterday Mr. Mwila commended the former KGP workers for being patient since the company closed in 1998.

Mr. Mwila said that government will soon start processing and paying former KGP workers their terminal benefits since it had sorted out their housing problems.

The former workers have not been paid their terminal benefits since the closure of the company 13 years ago.

Mr. Mwila said the government was committed to ensuring that its people were empowered with housing and the means to improve their living standards.

“ The government of President Rupiah Banda has heard the cries of former KGP offers and has since further reduced the prices of the houses this is in the bid also to empower Zambians with decent accommodation,” Mr. Mwila said.

Government remains steadfast to improving the welfare of the people because it is a caring government and very soon it will start preparing your terminal benefits.

Meanwhile, KGP Former Workers’ Steering Committee has praised government and President Rupiah Banda for reducing the offer prices for the houses adding that the move will empower the former workers with housing.

Steering Committee Chairman, Jumbe Sanikonda lauded the government and the MMD leadership for the will they have exhibited in fruitfully resolving the issue after 13 years since the company closed.

“We want to express our gratitude to the President and his administration for the swift response to the petition we made regarding the initial offer prices for the houses which were too high”, Mr. Sanikonda said.

“This is a listening government which has listened to our plea we praise the government and the President for looking into our welfare because this will now help us also meaningfully live lives,” Mr. Sanikonda said.

Mr. Sanikonda noted that many former workers would have failed to purchase the houses at the initial prices thereby defeating the government policy of house empowerment.

The former workers have since pledged to give President Banda and the MMD another mandate in the forth coming elections so that he and the party continue improving lives of many Zambians.

The workers commended government for its selfless efforts to the successful conclusion of the issue which has remained outstanding for sometime now.

ZANIS

21 COMMENTS

Dankaya August 31, 2011 At 8:22 am

is it K10 or K10m?
nyama August 31, 2011 At 8:23 am

wow,and you call that swift response…………the right term for the action is DESPERATION
eisenberg August 31, 2011 At 8:27 am

#1: I’m sure you know what he meant.
Fabrigas wa mu zambia August 31, 2011 At 8:33 am

Good move by the out going President of Zambia RB and the Late MMD. Get the houses say thank you, But, DON’T KUBEBE
PF 4life August 31, 2011 At 8:41 am

So for the last 13 fooking yrs, how were these former employees surviving?? MMD didnt give a fook all these yrs, why now? My advice to all those getting these house is ‘ get the house but plse dont kubeba’ VIVA PF!!!!
WABUFI WENYE August 31, 2011 At 8:42 am

How long ago was Kapiri Glass closed and what is the benefit to the former employees. They deserve better and infact free houses. Those guya have suffered at the hands of MMD and should not be fooled with that gesture. Bye bye MMD and see you in hell
gagande August 31, 2011 At 8:43 am

It must be 10 kwacha.I regret not having joined kapili grass products.I’d not be homeless today.
PF 4life August 31, 2011 At 8:51 am

Suddenly there is money for evrything pa Zed…yaba
ine ndiwansele August 31, 2011 At 9:02 am

It’s just a pity that despite ba mudala besu ba levy being a champion of fighting corruption
Chilala chimsoro dubiously sold a housing complex and two blocks of flats where the same suffering ex KGP workers were evicted
MMD 2011.. August 31, 2011 At 9:16 am

it is amazing…when something good is being done..the opposition still cry foul..even when ur own relatives will benefit from this..VOTE RB 2011
Kankungwa August 31, 2011 At 9:35 am

Writing on the wall!!
mwamba August 31, 2011 At 9:41 am

– Patient since 1998, my foot. Get the houses and Vote for change.
Make sure you get your benefits before 20 Sept, 2011.
MB August 31, 2011 At 9:50 am

District Commissioner, Kunda Mwila, you are going to be fired by GRZ! Didn’t you know that handing over title deeds and houses is RB’s job?
Lasa Lasa August 31, 2011 At 9:54 am

Sata and Chiluba sold houses everywhere in Zambia for the purpose of winning elections. What goes arround, come arround….however, what is wrong is still wrong.
PALA DENDE LAMALA, MUSOZE SIMA August 31, 2011 At 10:19 am

Better for you to have a house in zambia than j’berg
James Bond August 31, 2011 At 10:26 am

May be just for information of those that do not understand this matter; It is in the manifesto of the MMD that citizens will be empowered with houses so that even those without capacity can develop(re-distribution of wealth). This system was initially introduced by Roosevelt in the US and was reinforced by Reagan in 1980s and then by Margaret Thatcher in Britain in 1980s as well. It was called democracy with housing. With houses, more people had access to morgages and investment increased at lower level of society. Even Thatcher sold off Council houses at give away to sitting tenants. How many people bought council houses have built their own from the initiative?So let other parties tell the nation about empowerment of the general cictizenry.
Abana LSK August 31, 2011 At 10:46 am

LAST KICKS OF A DYING HORSE…KUYABEBELE MMD WAWA…
Shiiii Donchi... August 31, 2011 At 10:52 am

20 Days.Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
JANE NAFUTI NAFUTI August 31, 2011 At 11:03 am

THATS GOOD ITS SHOWS THAT THE HAVE THE PEOPLES INTRESTS AT HEART
iwe August 31, 2011 At 12:15 pm

The Tenant’s have pledged support for RB and MMD due to the massive discounts, isn’t this an act of breach of the electoral code of conduct, because i haven’t seen any economical or financial justification for the massive discount of 70%.

And these same individuals will they manage to maintain the houses and will they be able to pay rates to the municipality to help the councils provide services..?they are a lot of questions which beg to be answered from this empowerment but i shall end here.
cleo August 31, 2011 At 2:47 pm

talk about tarnishing your country’s name, i really wonder what outsiders think of Zambia! bloggers go out of their way to demean whatever development that is introduced, even late LPM’s (MHSRIP) efforts were never appreciated up until you people killed him, because of talk, talk, talk and more talk! and you wonder why the country’s rate of development is slow, everything from the time i can remember is always condemned mwaba shani kanshi.