Construction for an ultra-modern State House is due to begin next year after a Parliamentary committee expressed concern over the deteriorating condition of the current home and office the head of state -built some eight decades ago – and MPs supported the idea.
The project results from the recommendations of the Committee on Communications, Transport, Works and Supply following its recent tour of State House where members noted that the worrying extent of deterioration of the main structure, referred to as Plot 1 on Independence Avenue.
The deterioration was described by the committee as “appalling and life-threatening”, with the Ministry of Works explaining it was costing the taxpayer millions of Kwacha annually to maintain the imposing colonial-style building.
Scores of Members of Parliament (MPs) supported the proposal to have a new State House with Housing and Infrastructure Minister Ronald Chitotela saying Government expected to start the construction in Lusaka in 2018.
Committee chairperson, Anthony Mumba, said that the current State House was built more than 80 years ago and was now in a serious state of disrepair.
Mr Mumba told the House that the committee was also concerned that Government spent huge amounts of money on piece-meal maintenance works that had little to improve the state of the building.
He said the proposed new State House would offer several other facilities lacking in the current structure and lead to massive savings on the hire of space and services.
“Apart from being old and damaged, the building is not able to cater for various state functions. State House lacks a conference and banquet hall, forcing the Government to incur high costs to hire such facilities,“ he said.
Mr Mumba, the independent Kantanshi MP said this on Thursday when he moved a motion for the House to adopt his committee’s report after its recent undertaking of various tours.
He said following the committee’s observations, it recommended for the building of a new State House, large enough to cater for state functions.
Debating on the committee’s report, Mr Chitotela said Government was equally concerned with the current ‘worn-out ‘status of State House.
The minister told the House that Government had identified some pieces of land within Lusaka where the project would be built.
He said the project would be done in a transparent manner, stressing that the construction would be done under strict measures to involve only a few stakeholders; such as his ministry, the contractor and the Office of the President, for security reasons.
Works and Supply Minister Mathew Nkhuwa said about K2 million was being spent annually by Government to maintain the current State House.
Kanchibiya MP Martin Malama (PF) said there was need for a second State House and proposed that the current one be turned in a museum for revenue collection.
He cited Malawi, which had two State Houses (one in Blantyre and Lilongwe) and that Zambia could decide where the new facility would be put proposing the tourists’ capital, Livingstone.
Is it necessary, really? We are speaking millions of dollars to build a new State House?
Think twice, we could lose 2021 to Chipimo
Just imagine building a new State House for Ellias Chipimo to occupy? Late MCS halted this plan. Don’t make him turn in his grave. How old is the Buckingham Palace?
@comrade Kudos well said, I’m in total agreement with you old friend! Some of us even though we are for the current govt we don’t agree with everything that the govt is doing..some of us were against the 10percent tax because it was killing small scale farmers who were being disadvantaged by Greek millers and their Zambian middle men slave buyers – and the govt heard our pleas! Some of us are against luxury SUVs and high salaries and pointless allowances while poverty is still high. SO NO TO THIS NEW STATEHOUSE! LETS USE THE MONEY ON IMPROVING OUR PRISON CONDITIONS etc The prisons service is making millions yet that money is not being spent to improve prison conditions- may God judge those cretins harshly!!!!
LT as usual, from their tone supporting “built some eight decades ago” Are structures not built to last a life time? can they not just renovate? ati – life threatening! these jokers
Since hh is very much obsessed with occupying state house let him start renting the old one while the current president be moved to his own residence he has built.
Why construct in Livingston, these PF way of thinking?
The ideal was to construct in the new PF capital city in Gabwe.
But best is close to ultra modern PF synagogue of All Nations, when is it officially opening?
Yes old man Sata halted this plan but now RB is back in charge and continuing with it as Lazy Lungu is MMD part 2…only interested in kickbacks and reckless expenditure. Civil servants and pensioners have not been paid but you have time to discuss this…State House is not the only building in that yard.
Help me understandand this paragraph –
done in a
“transparent manner”,
stressing that the construction would be done
“under strict measures to involve only a few stakeholders”;
such as his ministry, the contractor and the Office of the President, for security reasons.
The President of Zambia Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu should stop and not entertain this warped idea…It’s really not true that when a building is old then it’s not habitable…The KantanshI Mp has always been looking for a Ministerial job hence the recommendation…All Former Presidents have rejected the idea citing not necessary…The President should be wary of yes bwana Ministers who do not mean well…
The White House is centuries old. Any civil engineer worth his salt can rehabilitate OUR state house. If there’s need for the “banqtuet hall” that can still be placed in the current grounds.
Problem is in the past PF thieves have hired Senile Squander’s Apollo to do shoddy works there.
By the way did this committee of MPs consult expert opinion before arriving at their recommendations.
I don’t like the building, bad architecture, nothing Zambian about it.
A new way of stealing money from Zambians, start a project and inflate the cost. NAPSA houses in Kalulushi is a good example, they exaggerated the cost of building that housing project, now they are selling them at half the initial selling price. One wonders whether they’ll make any profit. Workers Compensation Control Board is another govnt institution that is being abused. They want to renovate the institution al houses in Riverside Kitwe at a cost which is higher the prices of Napsa Kalulushi houses. Why not buy the Napsa houses and sell off the old houses to tenants so that they make a bit of extra money than renovating old houses at the price of buying a new one? Projects are everywhere in government cause it’s a new way of stealing tax payers money.
“…proposing the tourists’ capital, Livingstone.”
OF COURSE NOT LIVINGSTONE. LET IT BE WITHIN LUSAKA. YES, THERE’S NEED FOR THE NEW STATE HOUSE CONSIDERING THAT IT IS TOO OLD AND LACKS CERTAIN IMPORTANT FACILITIES.
What’s wrong with the current musakuta? The tunnels are no longer operational?
Chipimo is far much better than HH.
We all know the animal that goes back to it’s own vomit, most of the mmd projects they made fun of in 2011,are been resurrected.
This State House is it in Ngabwe or in Lusaka? Mr Lucas Mulusa, tell us
Not suprised about the dilapidation of State House. This is what happens when you have dirty people leading the nation. Maureen Mwanawasa and Chiluba’s wives were not clean. The first president and First Lady left State House in immaculate condition. Maureen Mwanawasa was a villager who had never seen moder facilities! Instead of training plumbers, electricians etc Mwanawasa was stealing public money! That is why toilets are blocked! There is no one trained to repair them! Lungu who has only lived in a compound cannot maintain a stately home.
Lungu has brought back the things we voted RB out of office:-
A. Building of State House
B. Theft public funds
C. Favouring a corrupt Dora Siliya
D. Excessive Globe-trotting
E. Police brutality & killing of protesters.
F. Depleting of reserves
Misplaced priorities. it’s just a way to steal money by lungu & his PF00Ls
There are schools with thatched roofs and fooolish PF MPs are debating about Lazy’s luxuries!!
To cap it all, the Chinese will be awarded the contract to undertake the construction.
Finally you Kudos, you can see that You do not have governors but schemers. They are scheming how to steal the soon to be IMF loan.
misplaced priorities, PF gvt constitutes dull planners. At the time the gvt has no money you go on with such a project?
Who told you there is no money? Kasolo wanted to get $1billion from 1 single mining company, the PF said, hell know people might vote for you as president.
Even 1 single Chinese donor can fund that state house. Did you see those flats AVIC constructed for….. HH has half of that statehouse, what money are talking about?
Just ask Chikwanda company to start construction tomorrow.
ITS ALL ABOUT THIEVING, FIND OUT WHO HAS BEEN DOING THE WORKS, TO WHAT STAND AND WHO SIGNED OFF? IF IT WAS MY HOME I SHOULDN’T PAY THE CONTRACTOR FOR THE SUBSTANDARD WORKS. IN FACT IF IT BECOMES TOO COMFORTABLE THEY WANT TO STAY AT PLOT 1 FOREVER, IT NOT S PRIORITY.
Avic here comes another contract for you. Whoever owns shares in Avic must be living large.Is Avic our local government or they the only ones who can do the job. Its very disappointing to hear government officials say ill on local contractors when they are busy empowering Avic and other international companies at the expense of local contractors. You want us to pay tax to repay money government borrow. Make changes to this rotten system. Let the local companies partener up with all major international companies on any major project. Its for the benfit of all Zambians not few selfish zambians. You speak well when its election time. Zambians wake up politians are very few people who shouldnt control over 15 million people and we just sit and watch. The way we make a choice is the way we can…
You are right..this is another one which will be single sourced to AVIC in exchange for flats and bribes to Lazy Lungu…how does a Parliamentary committee sit and table such matters when half the representatives of country are suspended…is it an emergency?
Southern province does not constitute half of the country. Check your data.
IT SHOULD BE TREASONABLE NOT TO EMPOWER LOCAL CONTRACTORS, WHEN WILL THEY DEVELOP AND WHO SHOULD GIVE THEM A PUSH. THIS IS TAX PAYERS MONEY THAT ENDS UP IN OFFSHORE (HOUSES ; PRETORIA, LONDON, MALAYSIA ETC) ACCOUNTS, NEVER COMES BACK TO CIRCULATE IN THE ECONOMY.
Please give the tender to to local Zambians
Whose funding it borrowed money or government.
Just build this thing next to the airport so that motorists and other road users are not inconvenienced. Since our Presidents love traveling, this facility should be built near the new airport terminal where the President and his visiting compatriots would simply take a walk. That way Great East road will experience few disruptions.
I can’t agree more. Actually inside the airport or build it in Uganda or Zimbabwe then there will be need for him to travel since he will already be there
I am sure he does not notice that he is two times s drain to economy. The travel expenses plus allowances and disruption to economic activities especially women going to dance at the airport. Living market stands unattended.
They should just construct it within KKIA, so that we are served from the comings and goings.
Completely agree. Let them build it Uganda and Zimbabwe so Lungu can be stationed there instead of travelling all the time to countries with expired leaders
ECL is walking in the steps of RB! Sad that voters didn’t see RB in the new PF under Chagwa and their hatred for one HH blinded them to other alternative choices. Chagwa only came to destroy! He has no idea how sick this economy is! Is this really necessary at this time sure? Agony is building a new state house for another person to occupy. Zambians must for once stop this sh.it going on in this country!
The current State House was compromised by Chiluba. This thing is not worth a State House anymore. I would have preferred the current facility being upgraded by a British Company (the people who built that structure), but you can’t do that in view of what Chiluba did.
Zambians, Zambians!!! Fyonse ni negative. Bfor u compare yo state house to Buckingham place, u must compare building materials – the palace was built from stone slates. Next, if u r a Zambian who has eyes, u will c that EVERY THING in Z is old – o those mine houses on the copperbelt, o those govt houses chiluba gave u, o those parastatals house, u now claim to own a house, r old & dilapidated. To make matters worse zedians don’t know any building mentainance. The paints on these houses is still the same that was put when the house was built in the 1900s. Broken windows u ve improvised with whatever. Burglar bars u ve installed like its a pig house – no beauty. So the same is how state house has been mentioned – poorly. Now its like those houses I mentioned above. So what shld b done?
@Washaa washala, your ignorance is astounding. Stone slates are used for roofing in UK NOT for building. Burglar bars are used because poverty in Zambia has created armies of criminals who want to take away what you have earned for free. In countries with low crime rate, there are NO bars on doors and windows. Besides, there is no law in Zambia forcing you to install burglar bars in your home. DO NOT install burglar bars in your house and it will look ‘beautiful’ ………………for burglars to help themselves.
So, One man and a dog, are you responding to Washala washala?
Hh will not need state house when president because his house is bigger than state house . Meanwhile poor guy like lungu who has made money as president is desperate to exploit tax payers money
Because his riches are questionable and off his house is not as big as state house. The sad thing is that your hh will never be in state house expect in your dreams.
We Musonda Kateule, Lesa nimalyotola mune! If God has it in his plan that HH will be President of Zambia, he will be at the right time no matter what you think or say! What are you going to do then? Mukaikulika?
Number 10 Downing street in England construction was finished in 1632 and White House in the US in 1800, meaning these buildings are way older than kama State House. To say because state house is too old to refurbish does not make any sense. The reasons they pushing for this are as follows:
1. Edgar Lungu sees himself presiding over Zambia until death. You have already seen how he is trying or destroyed any one and anything that is opposited to him just like his mentors Mugabe and Museveni.
2. This is another way of looting the coffers by Edgar and his friends. They will always come up with something to justify there actions. This guy has no love this country but himself.
This is not the time nor place for such stu.pid projects, stop it. The country has a lot of other needs.
I…
To say that State House is an old building is truly laughable…the reason its in a bad state is you do not use specialist contractors to do the job, there are Specialist British Contractors who renovate and restore listed buildings in Britain to as they were on the exterior and modernise them in the interior with up to date systems.
Its a shame that these people are too greedy always looking for the most expensive solution to a problem at the expense of poor taxpayers.
Clearly this project is not being undertaken for ECL. His second term will end in 2026, nine years from today. U5 will be 64 years then, still young enough to be elected President if he can get his act together, like reinventing himself as economic manager. This thing of becoming a donkey since 2016 with the coming of running mate gbm, has not helped U5’s profile at all. Instead it has relegated him to the bottom of the pit as a UPNDonkey and more recently further into the put as Kaili #1.
@ Terrible, You are sick, you should be taken away by men in white coats to Chainama.
Lungu will never leave power. He will do a Mugabe or MU7.
The kaponyas know this very well and will be in the forefront cheering him on.
…..and more recently further into the pit as Kaili #1.
If U5 remains in hallucination, he will come out of correction as a terminally sick donkey. Nothing to do with PF or Edgar Lungu, that is what prisons do and have always done to political figures in Zambia who are stupiod enough to become treason convicts and suspects. Now for U5 he even chose that path, would you believe that the young donkey wants to become President!!!
Mr hallucination can you be creative and stop being dull. If its not HH, its Southern province or donkeys. And what have the donkeys done to you? Seya kukwela madonkey, uza mangewa.
The reasons being advanced for justification of another state house are as porous as a sieve. The whole issue started after the death of Levy Mwanawasa. People from eastern province are very superstitious. They believe that if a person dies in a house, then the house becomes inhabitable. They used to demolish houses whenever a death occurs in that house. These Ngoni impis of Rupiah Banda and Lungu wish to impose their primitive beliefs on Zambians. They believe that Mwanawasa died in State House and then Sata also died in the State House, they wish to demolish state house according to their primitive beliefs. That is the truth!!!
There are several buildings in that yard…they could easily convert one mansion into an office block and use State House as a historical building for meetings and other national events.
One man and a dog – You know that RB and ECL are not Ngonis, right?
Am told it will cost $20 million. This is not a priority, the money can channeled to some more pressing areas like depressing conditions at uth. Can please get serious for once. SMH
Misplaced priorities! We need roads from Kalabo to Kalongola, Kalabo to Shangombo, Kaoma to Sisheke, Kaoma to Lukulu, et cetere, yet you are frantically embarking on a new State House, New KKIA, New Copperbelt International Airport, Lusaka to Ndola Dual carriage way, moving of Capital city from Lusaka to Ngabwe?
This is very shameful, indeed. This is the consequence of having Rulerss, rather than leaders in government. Rulers who turn political parties into political enrerprises, such the PF Enterprises Limited. Instead of producing goods and services, they instead are producing fat allowances and breeding corruption.
Whither Zambia?
I wonder what other issues they have okayed in the absence of the main opposition party.
Really sad that the commitee is tabling issues concerning expenditure when the main opposition party is suspended. ..you are simply debating about how to spend our money without inviting half the taxpayers reps.
COULD YOU PLEASE PASS IT BEFORE THEY COME BACK, WHO? MPS, OPPOSITION. THIS IS CHRISTMAS BANE.
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Be ware of this THIEVING IMPI and try it at your own peril!!!
okey ,
Good ideal by the government.
let let them work on the economy as well.
Thank you
They will start work on economy once IMF clears that $1.6 Billion cheque …in the mean time its back to debating issues that matter to them like allowances, accommodation and personal transport.
What exactly is in state house that they now want to run away to a new location? Presidents hardly spends nights there and running away in the name of of working trips.. Please just tell us the truth we come for prayers.
White House in Washington DC is 216yrs old …and well maintained mwaiche .But since maintenance culture is alien to our lazy bums then we’ll just build another one.
@14, sorry can’t pronounce your name. But I have studied history in school and I have not read anything like that about ngonis or easterners. BUT it is in black and white in our history books that tongas are nomadic. That is why they do not build permanent structures. They abandon a “village” (and that is a collection of poorly thatched ramshackles like that recent primary school story) when a family member dies. In a recent NGO toilet project it was reported that tonga villages lack toilets, apparently they carry a hoe to the bush. Just randomly pick the village of the 47 suspended MPs, 95% of the chances are that their village where dad and mom live is a ramshackle. You saw even the village for U5 didnt you? But in town they have built mansions like bembas, luvales, ngonis, lozis etc…
……But in town they have built mansions like bembas, luvales, ngonis, lozis etc of course. So what can you tell other people when you don’t even know your own culture?
As long as the old state house is retained for the sake of history so that people can go and see where most of our presidents lived for more than 50 years.
It is one reason why Africa does not have on-going history because we love new things which immediately kills the history! But since the current state house is ‘haunted’, and gives the current President sleepless nights, maybe there is need for a new location of state house!
Haunted by what? Lazy Lungu must be doing something wrong for the Bum to BE afraid of his own shadow when he is day dreaming in the office. Just imagine how this hapless id.iot Edgar has betrayed the founding father of his party by taking on the likes of RB, Dora, Mutati, Bowsman; the very people who insulted Old man Sata and laughed at his illness.
@11.1, unfortunately Chainama has been reserved for UPNDonkeys, especially those who will pass through correction facilities. You didn’t know that did you?
The new state house should be in the copperbelt.
Absolute nonsense…..
The white house was constructed in 1800,216 years ago
No 10 Downing Street in 1684,335 years ago
You have places in Zambia with dilapidated school infrastructure built during the KK era.For sure PF have no Brains
Sata was not like this. President Lungu is wasting taxpayers money useless president! Days are numbered for you! Galu iwe!
My school in Mufulira is dilapidated? How about allocating some funds to it? What is more important healthy educated citizens or a President who is comfortable in his house
President Lungu is wasting taxpayers money! Lack of priorities! Useless president! Galu iwe!
I find it really hard to believe that Africans are human beings. All they do is harm each other and de-legitimize institutions of governance through corrupt practices and illogical decisions that do not benefit the local people and the continent.
True, ni galu mu State house.
Ni ndalama za ba nyoko? Why complain my friend. Lungu is not building that place to stay there for life. He has built a new nice place for himself. That state house is rubbish.
If his dream was to build ‘a nice place for himself’ he could do it without clinging to the presidency. Right now we are accruing more and more debt for wrong reasons. Think about the future generation of Zambians. We are making their lives much more difficult by the current attitude and total lack of fiscal discipline in all financial aspects of our country. The future of this continent is at risk.
Citizen – What fiscal discipline are you talking about building a state house? You are complaining like we have started building. The state house is going into the budget. Wait when we start then you will understand the costs nicely. Government spent huge amounts of money on piece-meal maintenance works that had little to improve the state of the building.
Most Zambians are a threat to themselves and to the future generations of this country. I feel really sorry for our children especially concerning what we are doing right now to sabotage their well being. There are very few decisions made by African leaders that we can be proud of. The majority of them are epic failures.
SATA had a bigger revelation. He had come across RBs government plans for a new statehouse. He said it was a scandal and expensive.
When he won and went to statehouse, he again ‘revealed’ how dilapidated the statehouse was including furniture. He said a new one must be built. He started renovations and new furniture without tenders. He probalbly made a lot of money (they are saying K2m per yr).
Just sell it to GBM/ HH or. British embassy.
The concern maybe genuine but the solution is a little over the top considering the country’ economic status. Why can’t the place be restored in stages… starting from the worst affected areas. That way it will be easy to audit and keep a close eye on expenses. Do the powers that be understand or even appreciate the scope of works as is… restore and rehabilitate period.
That Country has borrowed enough… What is wrong with the current State House?
I can not agree more with what other sensible people have said and it will be absurd stupid to spend so much money on this project when 99% of Zambians are walloping in abject poverty… Think!!!
I don’t think of any sensible government would take this project and if they did, they would be doing it their own stupid peril…
The antics of Home Africanus never cease to amaze me. Really build a new state house?
Of all things?
Works and Supply Minister Mathew Nkhuwa said about K2 million was being spent annually by Government to maintain the current State House……..who is this minister and his ministry that we dont know?
Ati state house is 80 years and so is a run down structure and a risk to live in,,, meantime, the White House, 10 Downing Street are more than 200 years old, still not run down and still safe to live in. How it is possible?
Oh groan! Now every opposition party leader will double their efforts to get into the new plush plot 1. Tighten your seat belts !
Build another referral hospital but equip it to the fullest n stop being medical tourists in other countries.Better the whole nation to benefitting than one person at the proposed new plot 1.
ECL is a strange president …who doesnt listen to no one .Ghanaian president told him at point blank ,,,mune democracy.he kept quite .This same ECL promised us here in kabwe new mulungushi textiles ..and where is it ? he is now building a new state house because this dictator will kill pipo and rig his way to 2030…we are now zambiabwe.
Really laughable …did we not tell you that Mulungushi Textiles was a no brainer when China produces better quality at far much cheaper prices, factories in the US, in Europe have closed down because of China…but no one wants to listen. There are people who still dreaming of national airline as well..
Let this be done in gabwe pliz
How many suffering retirees could be paid from funds to be allocated for the construction of new state house? Is president Lungu aware that there are retirees who have been waiting for their pension for 20 years or more? Is the president aware that some of those people have died while some have chronic illnesses and cannot afford panado? Mulusa should also be made to understand wasting such colossal amount of money to build a house for one person is reckless. The president should enulate president Sata. President Sata was against wasting money on a new state house, unfortunately this president who claim to follow his vision lost the same vision and has embarked on sending Zambians into land of perpetual suffering while he and his grand children are flying to every direction the wind…
Lungu’s govt is corrupt and wasteful. Lungu should refurbish the Existing State House and extend it to include the Banqueting and Conference Facilities. White House, Buckingham Palace, No10 Downing Street,the Vatican etc are far much older Buildings than Zambia State House. Building a New State House is neither necessary nor a Priority at a time the govt is failing to give students bursaries,maintain Hospitals,Colleges and schools,Roads etc. Besides the govt is broke and cannot afford to increase both domestic and external debt. The Lungu govt is wasteful and bad News for Zambia. The IMF Board should do Zambia a favour by denying the loan to Dictator,Sadist and Deaf Lungu’s illegitimate govt.
Can someone please examine the mental capabilities of the current executive before we hear that they want to demolish the Kariba dam because it is too old. This is beyond being selfish! It is economic sabotage!
I hate to say this, Lungu is becoming RB’s minion, all the plans that RB initiated as a way of siphoning money are back again. We don’t need a new state house because the current one is our heritage. Just renovate it.
I HOLD A PHD FROM UK
Hazaluza Hagain!
Talk about state of disrepair. How old is Buckingham Palace, for example, and no one is talking about building a new one in its place?
Get reputable maintenance firms from the United Kingdom to carry out the repair works. Let us keep the history of Zambia going.
This is the same state house that Rupiah Banda govt had proposed only difference is the figures, then it was $12million now it’s $20million.
Don’t people remember the first press briefing the PF had was about the condemning RB over the state house and new terminal building at KKIA?
I have a question which is older our state house, buckingham palace, the white house, St. Peter’s Basilica? Why haven’t these buildings been replaced by new ones? Also who decides that a building is not safe for the occupants, is it occupants? STATE CAPTURE in progress.
The question of building a new state should only be entertained if the following question are answered. Firstly how come other heads of States in must countries like the UK or the US live in the same building for more than a 100 years? You never hear the Queen say she needs new accommodation. Even after the fire of Windsor, the castle was just repaired. Secondly, what type or structure damage has happened that the whole building needs replacing? Lastly which budget are they going to take the money to build a new state house or are we going to increase our deficit by borrowing again?
Rebasing the skills of tax evassion, we know you” politicians” Ba mutati Felix mwatile we are on economic recovery so as citizens we need to tighten our belts for the next few years. Now wat morals do we see here? Wasting 20m dolas on just one person! May God judge you pipo . EZEKIEL 34.