Solwezi Municipal council has allocated four hectares of land to Herriot Properties of South for the construction of a shopping mall at a cost of US$25 million.
This comes after 23 councillors sitting on Monday approved the application to allow Herriot properties to undertake the multimillion-dollar project at the old showground.
Town Clerk Ronald Daka confirmed the approval of the proposal to allocate land to Herriot Properties.
Mr. Daka said the council is now in the process of to writing the investor to come and take possession of the land and start construction works of the mega infrastructure to be called Solwezi City Mall.
He said the shopping mall is one of the modern infrastructure projects that the council wants to promote to change the outlook of the mining town.
And Mr. Daka has disclosed that a major housing estate project which is supposed to be undertaken by National Pensions Scheme Authority (NAPSA) in Solwezi has hit a hitch.
This follows a delay by the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to approve a new Integrated Development Plan (IDP) for Solwezi.
The Town Clerk said NAPSA has an agreement with Sevanda Management Services to construct hundreds of houses in Solwezi.
He said the housing project is intended to ease the shortage of housing the new mining town is grappling with following an increase in population as a result of mining activities.
However, he said the NAPSA-Sevanda project has hit a snag because the IDP which is to guide the council on land usage is yet to be approved by the Ministry of Local Government and Housing.
He said the absence of the IDP is also holding back the total urban renewal of the old Solwezi town which is experiencing a spurt of unplanned construction of settlements and business infrastructure.
The Town Clerk is especially worried over unplanned developments in the Lumwana-Manyama area, a mining settlement which now has over 8,000 households.
He said the 8,000 households in Manyama do not have sanitary facilities and other services such as roads and clinics because these cannot be taken to the area until the IDP is approved.
He appealed to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to quickly approve the IDP, as it is an important blue print that will guide the council on land use and how it will service new development areas.
“Look at Solwezi, you cannot tell which is an industrial area or high, medium or low cost residential areas because the development plan has not been clearly distinguished. The approval of the IDP is meant to guide the authority on the development of the town,” Mr Daka said.
Meanwhile, Solwezi Municipal council has set aside K5.5 billion for repairing township roads that had become impassable and a danger to road users due to potholes.
According to the Town Clerk Ronald Daka, the council is working on a total of 47 kilometres of township roads.
He said so far 30 kilometres of road works that included re-gravelling and compacting have already been completed at a total cost of K3 billion.
He said an addition of 17 kilometres is now being worked on and the council is expected to spend K2.5 billion.
ZANIS
That’s good, hope it doesn’t take centuries before the project takes off
Do not just compact the roads but tar them like other Countries pliz. We are sick and tired of the same rhetoric of this and that in the name of Development yet all the funds are going into a few people’s pockets. You have to be serious pliz.
Let the works begin. King Cobra.
Wonderful. Fueling consumer spending…and improving lives..
THIS IS VERY GOOD. MODERNISE ALL THE TOWNS THROUGH SHOPPING MALL +, +. IT SHOULDN’T BE LUSAKA, NDOLA AND KITWE ONLY.
how about a $25m dollar hospital and staff housing?
Good development
HEMCS at work now. the rest go to watchdog for your news
Good move.:d
Last time i checked “infrastructure” was power grids,sewer systems,roads,bridges,schools or hospitals and communication systems serving an area.
#3 this has nothing to do with King cobra
Thank God for mining in the area ,
Nubian princess, are you willing to invest in the Hospital. All options are open. The current investors in Solwezi want a shopping mall, because thats were they can make more money.
Thank God for my Solwezi. Kwetu ku Solwezi ko twaswa mema. Yetu ba kaonde ba jimuka. I am planning to come and build a housing complex in Solwezi next year, housing atleast 10 houses for a start. But i am scared of corrupt Zambian authorities. They might just “eat’ my moni now.
Can the Ministry of Local Goverment and Housing approval the intergrated development Plan to see the much needed development.Why are you delaying to approve the Plan?
Please we are watching you lets hope its not the Mufumbwe fever and when is Kansashi starting constructing the 3500 housing units in solwezi?
Thanks for this development.
When are the improving the Hospitals?
I just imagine someone shopping in a nice fancy mall, then when sick goes to sleep on the floor in a government hospital…. just saying…
Carry on everybody
IT IS LONG OVERDUE.SOLWEZI IS JUST ONE BIG SHANTY COMPOUND.
it is a good development so far,i personally am happy over that news of building a shopping mall in Solwezi but my concern is over Manyama-Lumwana Area,when will the council move on board to do something in terms of building permanent structures like a market?
I am currently studying Civil Engineering in Malaysia, when i come back to Solwezi I need to work hand in hand with the council to develop Solwezi. That place has the potential to become one of the best towns in Zambia. The only reason i will be working with the council is because i will need guidance from them, but otherwise, waiting for our government to develop our country will take ages. For those who have visited Malaysia, this place is still developing but so far, the development around is tremendous. Let us as individuals strive to make our country a better place to live in.