LAND has been identified in Choma where infrastructure for the provincial capital of Southern Province will be constructed.

The piece of land, about five kilometres from the central business district on the Livingstone-Lusaka road, is expected to accommodate 200 offices.

Last year, the Patriotic Front (PF) Government relocated the Southern province capital from Livingstone to Choma and allocated K15 billion for infrastructure development.

Southern province Minister Miles Sampa said in Livingstone yesterday in an interview that the provincial administration was currently discussing the matter with the Ministry of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication.

“We don’t want to build offices in the central business district of Choma because the area is already congested.

We want to move slightly away from town so that Choma becomes a large town. We’ll have all Government ministries at the identified site,” Mr Sampa said.

He said the next step would be to advertise the project in the press so that contractors could bid.

The minister has pledged to ensure the construction of infrastructure at the new provincial capital was completed within 12 months to beat the deadline of two and half years which was recently announced by President Michael Sata.

“I wish to warn bogus contractors who will be coming to Choma to try and engage in the construction of the provincial capital of Southern Province that the Government will not tolerate such people.

“We will soon advertise for the construction of the provincial capital and we want professionals to come here to do the work,” he said.

Mr Sampa said he would be the first one to report bogus contractors to law enforcement agencies such as the Zambia Police, Anti -Corruption Commission (ACC) and Drug Enforcement Commission.

18 COMMENTS

Tobo'mutwe February 11, 2012 At 2:55 pm

I am sure Miles will make a lot of money in allowances and VAT!
I hope its not the Chinese building everything. Let smaller portions be given to different contractors.
GUNDIX February 11, 2012 At 3:09 pm

Let us have competent companies with proven insurance liability backing be awarded contracts, Chinese or not. We should also have a time frame for the completion of works, such as we see in Lusaka. We don’t want failed projects in Zambia any more.
46 Bags of Mealie Meal February 11, 2012 At 3:26 pm

Give contract to Chinese.They will complete construction within timeframe.Much respect to the Chinese
Peter February 11, 2012 At 4:00 pm

PLEASE, LETS SET THE TREND FOR NEW MORDEN BUILDINGS THIS TIME AROUND. LETS NOT BUILD URGLY BLIND BUILDINGS WHICH MUSHROOM ALL ZAMBIA’S BIG TOWNS. PLEASE, YOU CAN EVEN COPY HOW TO DESIGN NICE-LOOKING STRUCTURES FROM JUST AS NEAR AS BOTSWANA. STEAL AND STRUCTURAL-GLASS BUILDINGS MAKE BEAUTIFUL STRUCTURES. BY THE WAY BOTSWANA IS ALSO BUILDING A STATE-OF-THE-ART INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. WHAT ARE WE STILL DOING WITH KK AIRPORT?
Sospower February 11, 2012 At 4:31 pm

We are in the 21st Century, so consider putting up modern infrastructure.
ck February 11, 2012 At 6:11 pm

I wish all the provinces were as small as Copper-belt, its easier to manage, communication to the central authorities is quicker and manageable,
Floyd Chitalu February 11, 2012 At 7:13 pm

Thats good news. If we all agree to this move. Whoever brings up good ideas those ideas must be acknowledged. Ideas may just be ideas. Implementation is the critical stage. Lets use our divergent way of thinking for the development of Zambia, in each and every corner.
Floyd Chitalu February 11, 2012 At 7:17 pm

Lets create another province. This one must get land from Western, Central and North western provinces. Dare if you can.
- Tongas are SKUNKS hence SKUNKASTAN February 12, 2012 At 2:07 am
  
  Wait and see mate, just you wait
Digger February 11, 2012 At 8:06 pm

I wonder where the water for construction will come from, because Choma has no river only Choma dam which was constructed by NGOs for the love of the people. there is really eratic supply of water in Choma town, the general hospital has been out of water for a week now. These are things which needed consideration first before reaching as this stage of constructing offices and declaring choma as a provincial capital. The GRZ was first suppose to construct a second dam considering that Choma is the most pupulated city in southern province and the number of people keep increasing each day.
Digger February 11, 2012 At 8:09 pm

No one is against this move, but it was suppose to come at a time when all considerations and necessary infrustracture has been put in place. Actually, it has been the wish of people of Southern province in their proposals to government to shift the provincial capital from Livingstone to Choma which is centrally located then Livingstone.
Willie Kamalekyu February 11, 2012 At 8:27 pm

This is strange. Do we have engineers and architects in Zambia? I thought that before large buildings such as government offices are constructed on a piece of land the land has to be surveyed, layout plans made and approved and services such as roads, electricity supply, water supply, sewerage and telecommunications provided before the buildings can be constructed. All we hear is the minister talking about engaging contractors to construct right away! Has the government contractracted architects to design the buildings already or are they thinking of constructing “vimudadada” and calling them provincial capital offices? What about residential houses for for the numerous civil servants that will live in Choma. What I know is that the late FTJ sold all the government and council houses.
Just Curious February 12, 2012 At 12:32 am

Is it a coincidence that this pronouncement of having found land has been made at the time the chiefs from the South have resolved (Choma Declaration 2012) they will not tolerate stealing of land from the South????
musonda kabengele February 12, 2012 At 2:38 am

Please Mr Sampa give the contract to the Chinese people, who are capeable of during the work during the time frame, not llike people of BY Mwila, do not even have a machinery to operate with, he is a disgrace to the Landless-Mumbwa Road, it really pains me, to fail to complete to tar the road, Please consider Chinese, then work will be done.
Kwekwe February 12, 2012 At 3:24 am

@12, Just curios, who is stealing land from Southern Province. Some people can be foolish. and those tradition chiefs of yours dont know what they are talking abt. They have all the land, no one will stil it from them. Let thme just utilize it. They are just talking abt land which they dont even utilize. Too much idle land in Zmb.
Mwine February 12, 2012 At 11:09 am

kilometeres sampa ..at it again..go and develop the forest in muchinga1
Terminal Mutima Patient February 12, 2012 At 12:20 pm

The madness rolls on. The next thing this lunatic does is ejaculate on Barotseland and North-Western and one time its another Mushala rebellion on our lap.
siamabbudu CHITIMUKULU February 12, 2012 At 1:25 pm

Kilometre Sampa,

Yes go and proove to be useful. No money tricks in awardind contracts. Abakolwe bafula sana.