Government has invited American investors that make machines for building low-priced, environmentally-friendly and fire resistant houses to visit Zambia and explore business opportunities.
This is contained in a media release made available to the press by First Secretary for Press Permanent Mission of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations. Mr Chibaula Silwamba.
This was during a meeting that Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Given Lubinda, his counterpart in the Ministry of Land, Water and Environmental Protection Wylbur Simuusa, Zambia’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Dr Mwaba Kasese-Bota and lands permanent secretary Daisy Ng’ambi held with Enviro Board Corporation and South South News officials.
Enviro Board Corporation co-chairman Glenn Camp said the technology use agricultural materials like rice straw, wheat straw, elephant grass, sugar cane and sisal to make about 200, 000 building panels per year.
“The machine is none toxic, very environmentally friendly and green technology. One machine can make about 6, 000 homes per year. You can build one home per day with a small crew of people,” Mr Camp said. “To build a 50-square-meter house, it’s about US$ 9000 (about K46.5 million). The rooms are very energy efficient such that when it is hot outside, it’s cool inside and vice versa.”
According to Mr Camp, the machine cost about US$5 million (about K25 billion) but “it pays for itself within nine months”.
He explained that foreign financing could be found to kick start the project.
“If you were to finance it through the US Export and Import Bank, they only require a 15 per cent down payment, so only US$ 750, 000 and they can finance over a 10-year period. So the total cost can be less than US$2 million that is the down payment, setting up a building, getting some people trained, buying a truck, fork lifter, a few essentials,” he said.
Responding to Mr Simuusa’s query on whether they could engage with the Zambian private sector to implement the project, Mr Camp said that the opportunity extend to the private sector.
“The Government can come in if necessary, in some cases for sovereign guarantee,” he said, adding that financiers usually ask for a sovereign guarantee from the Government to the private sector.
South South News president Ambassador Francis Lorenzo, who linked the Zambian officials and Enviro Board Corporation, said a check at Export and Import Bank of the US in Washington showed that Zambia has credit opening, which could enable it undertake this project.
Ambassador Dr Kasese-Bota said it would be good for Enviro Board Corporation to travel to Zambia and demonstrate how beneficial the project would be.
Mr Lubinda said: “It’s a project which the Government would have interest in it and if as Government, we don’t want to handle it ourselves, we can give sovereign guarantee to the private sector.”
The minister said the National Housing Authority (NHA) could be a beneficiary.
“Therefore, include Zambia on your August tour of Africa. We could arrange your meetings with our housing authority, ministries that have relevance to this and the private sector,” Mr Lubinda said. “The private sector and public sector can go for it together.”
According to Mr Camp, similar houses would be built in Rwanda, Kenya, and about 1, 000 in Zimbabwe and 30, 000 in Southern Sudan.
Zambia’s housing stock deficit currently stands at between 2 million and 3 million, according to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing.
Can the haters start commenting please..haters first..yes you in Red moving Up N Down..
Has it already happened? We will see when the houses are built! Don’t be stupid.
Think b4 you blog. These guys where just discussing and nothing yet is tangible but you are already yapping. You sound like a fool with low caliber of reasoning. Why can’t you wait until you see the manifestation? How many investors has CNP talked to and how many among those have come to establish their businesses so far in Z? Anyway your are forgiven for exhibiting this high level of stupidity.
Correction Dr. Mwaba Kaseba – Bota is Bemba’s permanet UN Ambassador not Zambia, it ceased to exist!
Dr Mwaba Kasese not Kaseba, minor difference!
Sounds good or is it reads good? We have a lot of elephant grass in Zambia. Let them come and cut all of it and build us houses. Mmmm…wait a minute. If we cut all our grass isn’t that an ecological disaster? How they make a house made of grass material fire resistant is another issue. We need jobs, lets have them.
These machines sale for not more than 500 00 dollars here in China. We pushed similar projects in Ghana and Ethiopia. Just hope the guys will consult widely.
The difficult that GRZ will find is the people’s attitude towards these technologies. I mean, someone told me, they can only live in such a house if they are given for free. We are still in the era of cement and more cement.
by the way, there is already one company just about to start building. they are investing there own money and not borrowing. These guys are not investors but seller of machines that is why they are asking for sovereign guarantee.
There is a Chinese company that is building houses at Chindwin in Kabwe. It appears that is the style. They look nice aesthetically but I know the Zambian mindset. As you say Umwana Zed, it is about our minds. And why build so close to the road? I thought the SNDP says from L/stone to Solwezi its gonna be dual carriage way?
CHIDWIN nikudala since I heard that name.
Zambia needs to apply for an E2 treaty with the USA, so that Zambian businessmen/women can invest in the usa as well. it should be reciprocal.The E2 Investor Visa allows an individual to enter and work inside of the United States based on an investment he or she will be controlling, while inside the United States. This visa must be renewed every other year, but there is no limit to how many times one can renew. Investment must be substantial.
An investor must contribute to the US economy. Setting up a small shop alone is not enough.Investor visas are available only to treaty nations.The dollar amount of cash investment normally should exceed $50,000 depending on the type of business new or existing, although cases have been made for less amounts.Spouses and unmarried children under 21 years of age, regardless of nationality, may receive derivative E-2 visas in order to accompany the principal alien.
Dependents may seek employment in the US by applying for Employment Authorization using Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. Children under 21 cannot apply for work , only the spouse of the E2 holder. Upon conclusion of the business, investors must return to their countries of origin, or change their status. The holder of an E-2 visa may leave the United States at any time.
list of E2 treaty countries can be found at travel dot state dot gov slash visa slash fees slash fees underscore 3726 dot html
DIVERSION
I thought I should use the cheaper building theme here to make a very brief comment on the Zambia Army Barracks’ houses initiative that I noticed being put together by the Chinese on behalf of the Zambian government.
Much as I like and appreciate the initiative, I honestly do not like the idea of building those houses by the roadsides. The officers and their families are supposed to be in fully protected and controlled areas. People should drive distances before accessing those quarters, having gone through the check points at the gates.
I hope that building these quarters by the roadsides was not a political statement, which, sadly did not consider the risk to the lives of our men and women in uniform and their families.
Anybody notices what I am on about?
Good observation! Some so-called big fish might have been trying to show off the muscles. Somebody with little education and no basic common sense might have been in fore front.
The beggars
@ no# 12 Nubian Princes on this one, you are right on. I prefr Chinese investment. Something about those Asians tells me the know what suffering is and the produce as expected. Reap as tthe laws of theland are. If weak the just reap profitably lol.
Why can’t we do research in zambia to come up with zambian low priced housing?The best long term answers to zambia’s challenges are solutions from within as they empower zambia with both technical expertise and economic develoment.As much as foreign investment is good,the fact remains that it also leaves you exposed and open to control.Lets also woo and empower the zambian investor as 1st choice.
GUNDIX, That’s what I am talking about as well. Houses for soldiers at Chindwin barracks are being built may be 10 meters from the main high way. Is that really ideal? Yet we have plenty of empty land. Why? We, Zambians can be very foolish some times.
That machine to manufacture manure-houses is more expensive that clay-block maker. What the that crook didn’t mention is that cost of slab/foundation and roofing. Those minister don’t know how to ask questions.
Indeed we are accustomed to cement block and motar. The World Bank built us some secondary schools like Kamwala, Libala, Mansa with walls of particle boards or something like that. These walls were easily finished by naughty pupils. I have seen some of these schools changing to brick and mortar. Ugly and unkempt looking though. Like a poultry house with poor ventilation.
Put a flame to it long enuff it will burn .. It’s only fire restaurant to a. point .
Now Zambians have to be educated in how to live in these pre fabricated combustible homes .. Because a mbaula in the wrong spot or a faulty electrical wiring or an electric heater in the wrong place could be seriously hazardous … Personally even a clay house would be more practical for the majority of low income earners in Zambia …
We are not ready for these type of houses ..
Minister of lands, water and environmental protection? Isn’t this supposed to be simply called environment ministry? Stop smoking mind altering grass Mr Ukwa. You do not look sophisticated by coming up with these stupid titles. Those investors must have laughed their heads off when simuusa was introduced!
The only problem with the government is that you will build those housing units in Lusaka alone and yet we all pay tax.why developing Lusaka alone..twanaka mwe.
The only problem with the government is that you will build those housing units in Lusaka alone and yet we all pay tax.why developing Lusaka alone..twanaka mwe
The only problem with the government is that you will build those housing units in Lusaka alone and yet we all pay tax.why developing Lusaka alone..twanaka
Reply
The only problem with the government is that you will build those housing units in Lusaka alone and yet we all pay tax.why developing Lusaka alone..
Reply
The only problem with the government is that they will build those housing units in Lusaka alone and yet we all pay tax.why developing Lusaka alone..
The only problem with the government is that they will build those housing units in Lusaka alone and yet we all pay tax.why developing Lusaka alone..
Reply
PF heading in the right direction…thanks to many critics we are observing, listening quietly and working towards a good cause…Viva PF…Viva Sata
No wonder its easier for the white man to con our government officials, look at how attentive they are listening, what do they know about construction methods, where are the officials from ZDA?
Their webpage says this company manufactures or constructs prefabricated housing units and panels if this company wants to invest just come through the proper channels.
She is Dr. Mwaba Kasese and married to a Mr. Botha.
Donci kubebbaaa………….!!!
If these prefabs come to Zambia, can we also have the firms/investors build and supply new fire stations?
These are okay in developed nations because all the health and safety requirements and procedures are provided for as per the meticulous legislation.
So the answer is no. As has been said already, better off improving on the mud house technology.