THE Road Development Agency (RDA) has directed Roads and Paving Zambia Limited (ROADPAVE), the contractor engaged to rehabilitate the Chingola-Solwezi Road to speedup works following the numerous public outcry over the bad state of the highway.
RDA director of maintance Emmanuel Kaunda said there was need for ROADPAVE to pull up socks by speeding up rehabilitation works.
Mr Kaunda said ROADPAVE should also ensure that works being carried out were of high standard considering the heavy-haluage passing through the Chingola-Solwezi Road.
He said this when an RDA delegation inspected road works on the Chingola-Solwezi highway yesterday.
Mr Kaunda said concerns of by members of the public on the poor state of the Chingola-Solwezi Road were geneinue and this was the reason the contractor needed to ensure works were expedited so that the project could be completed on schedule.
He was saddened with the seemingly sub-standard works being conducted and urged the contractor to also improve on quality of works.
“RDA has priotised the rehabilitation of the Chingola-Solwezi Road because of its contribution to the economy through the mines,” he said.
He was however relieved that sub-contractor had been engaged to help speed up rehabilitation works on the Chingola-Solwezi Road.
RDA senior public relations Manager Loyce Saili said unnecssary delays would not be tolerated any further and urged both the main and sub contractor to work tirelessly in ensuring speedy completion of works.
ROADPAVE engineer Juran Bhowmik was confident of meeting the expectation of the people and RDA because the company this year had enough capacity having been beefed up by the sub-contractor.
Earlier, the RDA delegation paid a courtesy call on North Western Minister Nathaniel.
Mr Mubukwanu urged RDA to keep a watchful eye on the contractor because the current works being done on the road were not inspiring as indicated by President Michael Sata.
The road is far worse than it was before the contractor took over.They simply dug Potholes and left them to fill up with water.”Cant wait to go fishing this weekend”
South Africa’s Johannesburg the city of Gold, Nigeria’s Lagos city, Zambia’s Copperbelt Towns, and other cities…..have all developed from the benefits of the existence of the mineral resources within their area, roads inclusive. If you travel to Solwezi, Zambia’s present economic backbone, on the Chingola-Solwezi highway, I bet you will feel sorry for this road and I wouldn’t be shocked if you will experience very painful backaches following day. This Road need not be rehabilitated to set up standards, however, to construct a new one like the Lusaka-Kabwe highway will be a very good move ever to be proved by this govt.
You are rehabilitating the road because of the impending bye election in Solwezi. Sorry PF, the Solwezi vote will be for the opposition.
Development in Muchinga province is fatser thatn any other, and yet nothing comes from there. You are using the resources coming from NWP to develop your Muchinga province and yet look at the state of infrastructure in NWP including the roads. A federal syetem of government would have been ideal so tha most of the money coming from the province is utlised within the province.
RDA how do you award a contract to company if it has not got the capacity to carry out the works. …this is the lack of transparency we have been telling people about. ..wasn’t RDA under State House?
Roadpave used to be known as JJ Lowe. The main shareholder in JJ Lowe left the country many years back, as he could not compete with the Chinese who had gotten involved in road construction projects. The remainder of the employees of JJ Lowe funded PF compaigns in 2011. This is what earned them this contract. I dont understand why they were given such a complicated road which requires well equipped contractors. They should have been given some ka road in Muchinga Province which is not very busy.
Thanks for that information…..I remember JJ Lowe, the problem with our Zambian Road contractors is that they are narrow-minded and don’t want to innovate as they are not really sure when the next contract will come their way. We have the manpower but no one wants to invest in machinery as everyone is in it to make a quick buck. There is absolutely nothing unique about the Chinese firms, road construction has not evolved to such an extent that they are using robots, its all down to strict Construction Project Management.
The dates of starting and finishing paving the Chingola – Solwezi road are documented in the contract signed by RDA and Roads and Paving Zambia Limited. Also the quality and quantity of the road was specified. Where are the inspectors who keep checking on the quality and quantity of the road as paving progresses? There is no need to keep contractors who cannot meet the specification started in the contract.
What have I just head? Is it rehabilitating or an overhaul construction of the entire trench road. That contractor if at all I can even call it a contractor leaves much to be desired. The RDA must get serious and bring Chinese contractors that will give us a road worth talking about, not these shoddy works we have seen. I work in solwezi and use the same road often, for the last six months this company has been digging this road like no mans business and they have now reduced it to rabble. RDA I smell corruption change the contractor period.
Don’t also forget how much this contract is worth. ..they were secretly over inflating contracts and selling them to contractors who can not deliver. Who does ACC question since this was under Sata’s watch. This what happens when you have no board in place, no corporate governance…link 8000 funds is just ending up in their pockets.
THe solwezi-Zambezi road or solwezi-mwinilunga road are far much better than solwezi-chingola.Its hell driving on it.Somebody at RDA is not doing his job.they drive the road most times but had to wait for the president to instruct them..
Its silly to expect a contractor who is behind schedule to carry out the works to be of high quality just because you say so…you should have systems in place to avoid all this confusion. More taxpayer’s money being wasted due to corruption and incompetence.
*….to a high standard. …
This is the most foolish statement coming from RDA.This is rain season and you know rains in North.Western and you expect work to be done now.Your agenda is to punish People of North Western for rejecting this vision less,plan less government of failures but to the opposite even your cadres are using this road and filling the pain.
To the people of North.Western be proud of your Province.A province full of honey,rains,good and flat land,minerals,good forest and oil.
We heard of the North.west railways when is it going to be implemented.
But i have hope that one day the province will be a giant.
Despite being a province with few people we are the only province with 3 languages on the ZNBC,means we are strong.
i think the best way is just to change the contractor ,the one on site has on proper machinery, which u can tell that they can not do quility work . pliz rda do something.
Since when did the mining industry start contributing 65% to the national treasury? Please Zambian journalists stop spreading lies.
The Contractor will speed up the works because of a BY Election in solwezi central, so we need more by elections for improved road works
The road is in deplorable state, I had a break down 2 days ago after hitting a pot hole,i did my suspension 3 weeks ago but again I ve to do it , I found 2 accidents on the way due to poor state of road. what is surprising is when they patch a pot hole after a week it is washed away by rains,if patching is the solution then am sorry it ll continue for next 10 years.
I have been wondering why the Ndola-Kitwe dual carriage way started been worked on last June undergoing a major overhaul when the Solwezi road is the one that required immediate attention. The Ndola-Kitwe highway wasn’t too bad to be given that attention. It was actually being worked on even before the Kitwe
Works on the Ndola-Kiwe dual carriage way started earlier than the Kitwe-Chingola road which also required attention dual to the loss of live. Up to now I have not received a clear explanation as to why the Ndola-Kitwe road is being overhauled (and rehabilitated in some parts).
yaba..that name..kaunda..nothing good will come out of that road..watch the space..
Kaunda name smells of corruption. He must be communicating with Willie Nsanda every day.
Gents at RDA, do you have eyes or brains? This damn contract should be kicked out of business. Look at the patches were he removed the whole tarmac, its worse than the old road. The quality of work leaves to be desired. The directirs of this company, ROADPAVE, should be arrested and the company deregistered. They have failed lamentably to do the job just lik mavimi in Chingola.
RDA where have you been this long. Why checking on them now after Sata raised some concerns? Guys be serious. You mean you will be checking only when the president tells you? I think you need firing for being so irresponsible. May be you have some shares in the contract. How come this contractor has no capacity and yet you gave him the contract. I smell big corruption in this contract. ACC where are you…here is the case to investigate.
Peace and Prosperity to Mother Zambia.
Foolish. Is ROADPAVE a construction company or kantemba? You hate NWP but don’t forget that not only people from NWP are losing their lives. People from all over the country including neighbouring countries are dying because of the state of the road. Engage a good company, not ROADPAVE.
Foolish RDA. You call ROADPAVE a construction company instead of a kantemba. You hate NWP , but don’t forget that its not only people from NWP losing their lives .zambians ,including people from neighbouring countries a also dying on this road. Engage a good construction company. Thieves .
relieved that a sub-contractor has been engaged…………why not give contracts to capable people so that they do a good job instead of giving contracts to your friends who dont have the capacity to do the work and end up sub contracting
We should urgently extend the dual carriageway to Solwezi.
we need a dual carraigeway not what mr kaunda is saying. the road is in the “death state”
Ba pompwe where on earth can you repair the road in the rain season? Is it because of by election? Solwezi people be cheated
Repairing a road can easily be done its not as if its rainy 24/7, that should not hold down the schedule as they are usually just scrapping off the top level rotten asphalt and replacing it to eliminate the potholes….but constructing from scratch requires timing.
INVESTOR NI BOGUS. CHASE HIM WITH EMMEDIATE EFFECT.
kaunda is dull period.
Development in NWP will be delayed but soon it will be the most developed province in Zambia.