THE PARLIAMENTARY Committee on Communications, Transport, Works and Supply yesterday took to task the Road Development Agency (RDA) and the Ministry of Communications over the awarding of an additional contract to a suspected bogus contractor.
This is in a case in which an unnamed contractor was awarded a contract to construct the Kasaba Bay runway.
However a visit by the Committee, led by Senga Hill Member of Parliament Kapembwa Simbao, to Kasaba bay, revealed that works done at airport were shoddy.
The committee raised concerns over the contractor but later learnt that the same contractor had been awarded an even bigger contract to work on the Ndola-Kitwe dual carriageway.
But RDA chief executive officer Bernard Chiwala said the RDA was not part of the contract awarded to work on the Kasaba Bay runway, as this was the responsibility of the civil aviation department.
He however said investigations were launched and it was established that some members of staff within the Ministry had compromised themselves in the contract and one member of staff was certifying payments to pay his own company without declaring interest to the Ministry and RDA.
He said the case had since been reported to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) who were currently pursuing the matter.
Mr Simbao however said “As a committee we are not happy with the contractor. We felt that this man must never be given another contract. We actually feel that by now he should have been behind bars.”
He said the RDA had since intensified monitoring on the Ndola-Kitwe dual carriageway works, where the same contractor had embarked on the road works.
“We have strengthened our supervisory role of the road to ensure that there is no weak project management,” he said.
Acting Communications Permanent Secretary Joe Kapembwa told the committee that his ministry would consult and see the way forward regarding the matter.
And Mr Kapembwa informed the committee that his ministry had started collecting toll fees for trucks along the Solwezi Road and was working out modalities to start charging even smaller vehicles.
Earlier in his presentation Mr Kapembwa informed the committee that AVIC International had been selected to construct the Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport in Ndola at a cost of US$520m under a three-year project.
Let perfect work b done.
Let STRONG MATERIALS b used in constructing some of these structures.
Its sad after few MONTHS we start the rehabilitation WORKS.
And Imwe PF REDUCE THE PROJECTS SO THT U PRODUCE QUALITY. Thes Universities I am HEARING THEY R too much and MASSIVE the projects. They will compromise QUALITY.
When in zambia I was offered and accepted corrupt money
@Saulosi, Zambians like money and the pressure of getting “rich” is unbelievable
What strong materials? Thats like saying let doctors use the right medicine to treat patients.
Uko, let’s go PF, let’s go. This docility of Zambians is killing me hahahaha. RDA moved to state house and NO body flinched. Make that money Sata, soon you’ll be the richest Zambian. They laughed when you declared your 7 guns.
He wants to be like Mobutu Tsetseko with Villas in England and India
No background checks… Nowonder, they award contracts to ghost companies! Yaba corruption nipake pa zed!
Blame the system its flawed where have you seen the whole president’s office overseeing road contracts.
SHOW THEM….
IN COMPUTERS OR I.T., PF TRACK – IS DEFINED AS THE TOTAL PACKAGE AND MOST INNOVATIVE PRODUCT, THAT JUST WORKS.
AIRPORT UPGRADE AND CONSTRUCTION
BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION
ROADS BUILDING
UNIVERSITIES BUILDING
ETC
OUR COUNTRY HAS LAGGED BEHIND FOR YEARS OF STUNTED DEVELOPMENT BY ARMATURE AND CORRUPT MMD ADMINISTRATIONS.
All this happening at a time when the man who said he’s allergic to corruption in occupying state hse?
Sata is surely allergic to the truth and good governance.
When he is allergic to corruption, it does not apply to all corrupt individuals who will continue to go to prison. I wonder a crime committed by one accounts clerk facing possible jail sentence should land on the President’s should. This is pure madness
Sata is on self imposed 14 day holiday in all honesty which leader takes a holiday two months after the festive holiday period. ..only in Zambia. On top of that he has parked the presidential jet somewhere like its his personal limo…if only people knew how much Airport authorities charge to park aircrafts at their airports…..only in Zambia.
My brother JayJay I can’t notice your point here,the old man can take leave,you don’t tell him when and where he parks the presidio jet,even if your Internet is free blog only when you contribute positively..enjoy your weekend..
I thought supervision of roads was moved to state house and is being supervised by the presido. Where is the effective supervision? Yaba let the supervise the president clarify the issue.
That is why heads of states should distance themselves from direct involvement in such works.He can’t be summoned to explain because he is immuned.
That’s the reason why this toothless commitee is investigating old contracts trying to pin the blame on Benard who doesn’t work there. They are deliberately ignoring the big over inflated contracts sold to Chinese companies.
“We have strengthened our supervisory role of the road to ensure that there is no weak project management,” Mr. Simbao Said.
This is a clear criminal case. Lets have someone arrested. No need to ‘strengthen monitoring.’ If we let perpetrators of such vices off the hook, we will never go anywhere as a nation.
Empowerment of locals is important,we need to strengthen monitoring institutions to ensure quality work by contractors.The ministry of local govt should help certify the quality of work not just look around to certify shoddy works for tips..Corruption is slowly growing as seen by the swift move by local Govt’s to terminate a well excuted and finished project leaving unfinished projects in southern province.Shem
@Kavuyi
WHY DO YU THINK THE MAN HAS CUT SHORT IS UK VACATION?
He had nothing to do in London. Besides its too cold for a holiday resort this time of the year.
Because his Viagra doesn’t kick in when he’s exposed to extreme cold.
MATTHEW 7: 16 YOU SHALL KNOW THEM BY THEIR ‘WORKS’.
PARAPHRASED: YOU SHALL APPRECIATE THIS GOVERNMENT BY THE NUMBER OF PROJECTS IT IS IMPLEMENTING…
THE PROJECTS WILL KEEP THE BOAT AFLOAT COME 2016.
Extend the investigations to Chingola-Solwezi road. There is filthy corruption on this project and former MP, Lucky Mulusa should be the last man to comment on this scandal.
The shoddy works must not be blamed on the contractor alone infact the consultant engineer who was was in charge of the works must be held responsible for certifying shoody works.
It is high time incompetent engineers are flushed out from the market.
This was the case with Livingstone Airport as well where it was reported that the ceiling came down barely six months after completion.The Engineer responsible is let scot free and allowed to continue offering poor service to clients.
this cannot go on forever.
Useless commitees…where were they when RDA was operating without a board? They are going after small fish if the untouchables were involved in this contract they would have stayed well clear. Investigate all the contacts awarded under State House not just contracts awarded before that period. Id Benard Chiwala even at RDA wasn’t he transferred to the Ministry as a PS then dropped?
They should allow TV cameras in these committees like th do I the UK. …in the name of accountability and transparency.
It is so sad to keep reading such stories in the media. It was shoddy works during Chiluba, shoddy works during LPM, shoddy works during shi Mpundu RB, and still shoddy works during ‘former chain smoker’, Cobra!
Are all our successive Govts really that slow to learn or these shoddy works on govt contracts are financially beneficial to certain individuals in Govt? How can all seemingly “normal and intelligent ” leaders keep allowing this kind of a “financial black-hole” in a poor Country like ours?
This kind of collusion wouldn’t be tolerated in Countries that take the Business of National Development seriously. And when are Zambian contractors ever going to be proud of the work they do? Are they so used to living in shacks such that quality craftsmanship is foreign to them?
That’s because no one wants to tackle the actual issue of a flawed tender and procurement system. To add insult to injury you have the appointing authorities handpicking cadres to chair and head such sensitive government departments.
We all know where corruption is coming from, how it is done and who is involved.
PF is terrified of UPND and Miyanda because of this, no other reason. If either of these got into office the thieves in PF would lose the properties and money and have to live in non extradition countries for the rest of their miserable existence.
ZAMBIA HAS TRULY GONE TO THE DOGS!!
Only Mwanawasa @ least had the desire to fight corruption. The rest pakamwa Chabe- translation =( Idle cheap talk & hot Air!
1. Make the minimum sentence for corruption (a) not less than 25 years hard (b) subject to the guilty forfeiting ALL their property at home and abroad
2. Place the ACC, DEC, ZRA under parliament not executive. Give them authority to forensically audit individuals at least once every 5 years (including the president and CJ)
3. All contracts above K200,000 MUST be subject to Auditor General, DEC, ACC and ZRA audit for direct and indirect activities.
4. Public (savage) whippings should be instituted on politicians found guilty
Only a true patriot can do that,sata and most of mps have a belly pocket syndrome.just to add to your list ,the inspector general of police should be confirmed by parliament and can only be fired with the recommendation of parliamentary home office subcommittee.
Does RDA have a board or there just a board Chairman, who was Sata’s campaign manager in 2011. RDA is now an appendage of state house. all the shoddy works on the roads, the bark stops at Sata since he moved RDA to state house to improve its operations. Ndelolesha fye.
In zambia today lets not be cheated,there’s absolutely no contractor better than the chinese contractors.If at all u want a shoddy work try them i can bet my finger.
Unfortunately most of us do not understand much. Maybe its ignorance.all these contracts are awarded on the recommendation of consulting engineers. The biggest consulting engineer in theses roads is Rankins. Rankins is supervising nearly all projects and yet its not an indigenous company.its does not employ zambians but egypians who can barely speak englosh let alone supervise and yet rda just keep on using them as consultants.The resident engineers (all of them on all projects foreigners) are treated like presidents.now if u know the power of these resident engineers, u would know how corrupt this rankin is. Its a total let down especially when u hear people talking about empowering zambians
http://www.lusakatimes.com/2012/09/13/k600-billion-kitwechingola-road-upgrade-dual-carriageway-start-100-days-time/ Look at this link
Incompetent Government!! Does the PF ever think of the Health & Health safety of its citizens?? how embarrassing for me as a Zambian to hear such stories
They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Well,now see the corruption,violence and bad rd works done under Sata’s “cleaner govt” which campaigned on probity and more money????
Serikali ya mashetani hii.
Copper solwezi, toll gates solwezi, but look at chingola-solwezi road. This road has become a death trap. You want to punish people of NW province but those dying on this road are not only those from the province. Are those five who died from NW?.
All this talk about roads, the i.d.iocy is with RDA. It is full of retards.
Spot on! I thought I was the only one worrying about the shoddy works on the Kitwe-Ndola dual carriage way.
The excellent quality work that was undertaken by Phoenix twenty years ago is there for everydody to see. This contracor currently on the job is busy digging out good portions of the road that requires only resurfacing, at great cost to the tax payer and only to replace the destroyed stretches with half-baked surfaces!
The dual carriage way only required very little improvements on drainages. this contractor is making it look like it must look big! This road just required resurfacing, just like Phoenix did – certanly not reconstruction, as we are made to believe!
Ba Ngandu Consulting Engineers fi corruption as though fya mu blood.