Lusaka Mayor Miles Sampa has vowed not shave until the free WiFi he promised Lusaka residents is delivered. During the mayoral campaigns, Sampa pledged to deliver the Free WiFi project within 90 days.
In 2016, government and a South African firm signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide free Wi-Fi services in public spaces in Lusaka.
Government through the Ministry of Local Government and Housing and the Lusaka City Council (LCC) partnered with Edgy Nicollo M2TD Consortium, a South African company to supply free wifi services in Zambia under phase-one.
Other stakeholders in the project included Zambia Information and Communication Technology (ZICTA) and the Zambia Telecommunications Company (ZAMTEL).
Ministry of Local Government and Housing Permanent Secretary (PS), Amos Malupenga said during the signing ceremony held in Lusaka that the government was happy with the development of providing internet services to the people.
Mr. Malupenga said the project was expected to create an estimated 1,500 jobs to the youths in Lusaka.
He said the project would also help the local authority to effectively and efficiently provide services to local people.
The Permanent Secretary said government was passionate about empowering its people with job security.
“These are the kind of projects that we as government always encourage councils to undertake because Public-Private Partnership help to keep councils in direct contact with the communities”, Mr. Malupenga said.
Speaking at the same event Lusaka Town Clerk, Alex Mwansa bemoaned the high levels of unemployment among youths especially in the City but expressed hope that the free wifi project will help address the problem.
“I’m glad that the project is finally becoming a reality. It would help to alleviate the problem of unemployment in Lusaka in that an estimated 1,500 jobs are expected to be created”,Mr. Mwansa said.
The free wifi project was initiated by Zambian High Commissioner to South Africa, Emmanuel Mwamba in April this year when he led a delegation of eight members from Edgy Nicollo Group.
Jokes of this manner will not be entertained. Why are you obsessed with this free WiFi saga. Start working, Lusaka deserves better mayors not this joker in office.
To think that this is a guy who wanted to be president….It’s a scary thought.
I never knew that ndevu na Wi-Fi nipa chi cousin.
Ok since shaving is now being linked to shaving, Mr Mayor does it include your maso too?
Zambians are docile, no one cares if their Mayor joins talibans.
Try nude strike, if fails in 2 weeks then go to most effective one =
Hunger strike.
So where is the catch? System installation costs money and that RSA company is not manna. So the question is, who is paying for the initial setup and maintenance?
God bless Zambia.
Drama Queen!
Take free wifi to colleagues for students not on the street
No one has use for free wifi other than downloading music and movies
Growing a beard has not help Lukaku to score more goals either.
kkkkkkkkkkkkkkk that’s hilarious, we will now call him Mayor Lukaku.
Sampa Kwati nalya ka pushi????????????????????
This story doesn’t make sense…is this a story from the archive?
9/10th of it is archive stuff
They even headline it “ups the ante. Is not shaving what you poor journalists call upping the ante?
if he was serious he should gone on a hunger strike that way we know that he will work day and night to deliver because after twenty one days no food you are gone but a beared you can go a life time…
Well said my bululu!
How does free wifi upgrade a town like Lusaka. How will it benefit the great majority without smart phone s
What we need is
*Drainage
*Solution for street kids and street vending and not just arresting street vendors
*Clean and green city strategy
Sampa is as clueless no wonder he is now fighting a high brid cchicken statue
Its impossible …maybe for Civic centre but for all govt locations I dont see how Zamtel would profit!!
All these present Era politicians are clueless. I never hear them talking about every thing you have listed. Why do they want to go into office?
Miles Sampa deserves to be President of Zambia. I ask ba kateka to make Miles Sampa running mate in 2021.
All these present Era politicians are clueless. I never hear them talking about every thing you have listed. Why do they want to go into office?
This is where you see the corruption of Zambian leaders…..what is that South African company going to do that a Zambian ICT company can not do ???
That company is not doing anything for free , that’s for certain …..
now what is so difficult about installing a WiFi access points and routers for access into council servers and the ZAMTEL gateway in different locations that a Zambian ICT company can do. ???
I am truly comfused
Maybe I am missing something ?
Can any Zambian ICT engineer on the ground in Zambia tell us why a Zambian company can not do this ??
Zambian companies want $42 million.
Nostradamus
If LCC advertise the work in Zambia for what ever price they are paying that SA company , I am sure we will have Zambians up for it…
I think it’s more to do with kickbacks in commissions @10 % from the SA company for Emmanuel Mwamba and Sampa
Some people whenever you see them just know that something stup1d is about to happen. Is it not yet 90 days? Someone who fights Hybrid Chicken statue that does not talk can provide free Internet. Someone who fight a Petrol attendant and refused to pay for food. What has growing a behead go to do with WiFi. No wonder he can not even keep a Wife.
Sampa here is a list of work for you instead of your silly WIFI
1. Plant trees along the roads
2. Clean the city- area by area, not only roads but every space ( this will keep you busy )
3. Remove those makeshift structures at the Kafue roundabout flyover bridge.
4. Repair the roads – construct pavers to sustain the durability of the roads.
5. Paint the buildings
6. Plant grass ( kapinga ) to reduce dust during the dry season
7. Clean the drainage now before the rain season
8. Just look around you. You chaps travel outside the country but you learn nothing. Shame
Thanks @Joe. I also wonder whether some of our city “fathers’ really travel outside our borders. Sometimes, we spend more money on a same products with countries like South Africa, but we get a poorer product. Of late, I have noted with satisfaction the Non Motorized Transport facilities that are being out up on roads in Chilenje, but the execution is poor.
He will read your suggestions with joy…but guess what he will do tomorrow? Head straight to the t-shirt printers to put those suggestions on them and invite local celebrities to his office so he can give them t-shirts
Let him also work on painting Zebra crossings and speed humps around Lusaka. All crossing points in Lusaka have become a danger to pedestrians. I took time today to try crossing Cairo road as a pedestrian. Most vehicles don’t stop to give way to pedestrians and you can’t blame them because there are no clear markings on our roads. We need pedestrian traffic lights at most crossing points in town! RTSA must stiffen punishment for motorists who are a danger to pedestrians – who overtake at Zebra crossings! Why is Miles fixated on an issue he can simply get ZAMTEL to fix and free himself to concentrate on making Lusaka clean, green and safe for all? What has running a city got to do with keeping dirty beards? How can we fire Miles for incompetence?
They should just visit the Rwandan capital nearby
@Joe (comment 10) I second that. No wait…..I…… 67th like that!
Keeping a beard has become the “in-thing” especially among the youth in Lusaka. They want to look like Prince Harry…beard was a preserve for mazezuru men. Now Miles is envying the young boys in beards and has decided to join too. And this man was aspiring to be a President? Shame mwandini…shame…
He suffered “positive rigging”. Thanks God
BWANA SAMPA, BE SPECIFIC, WHICH PARTS ARE YOU NOT GOING TO SHAVE.?????
Un Shaven Beard will not clean our Streets, Un block the Sewers, Bring food on the table for the unemployed, Bring cean water. WIFI Will not bring development let’s try something better for the city of Lusaka.Lusaka City is looking for progressive Ideas.
Sampa is just a clueless muppet not deserving of the status of Mayor of Lusaka. No one is interested in his facial hair. Free WiFi was just an illusion he created to dupe gullible people to vote for him.
I support Sampa’s initiative. Running up to the next general elections, ALL ZAMBIANS poor and rich can post thier comments on websites! Currently only the few can. Imagine what the characters ‘Katondo Boys’ will get up to coming up to general elections 2021!!!!
Lusaktimes et al …will crash!