EFF CONDEMNS UPND’S CLANDESTINE AND CORRUPT TRANSFER OF 3 GOVERNMENT OWNED LUSAKA-NDOLA HIGHWAY TOLL PLAZAS (Katuba, Manyumbi, and Kafulafuta) TO FOREIGN FIRM – Kasonde Mwenda C -EFF President
Date: 27th August 2024.
The Economic Freedom Fighters-EFF, on behalf of the Zambian people, expresses deep outrage and condemnation at the Hakainde Hichilema UPND Government’s clandestine and corrupt decision to transfer the profitable Katuba, Manyumbi, and Kafulafuta Toll Plazas on the Lusaka-Ndola Highway into foreign hands. These toll plazas, which collectively generate over $40 million annually, have been instrumental in funding vital services such as poverty alleviation programs, medicine for public hospitals, school support, and road maintenance. This decision is not only a betrayal of the Zambian people but a glaring example of a government that prioritizes foreign profits over national interest.
This transfer, done in the shadows and without the consent or knowledge of the Zambian public, is happening only months after the commencement of a few earthworks on the highway. The toll plazas in question, which were built with Zambian resources and have been crucial in generating revenue for the country, are now being handed over to a foreign consortium that has contributed nothing but is set to make millions. This move is a blatant act of economic sabotage.
What is even more disheartening is that the revenue from these toll plazas will no longer benefit the Zambian people but will instead line the pockets of foreign entities that had no role in the construction or maintenance of these toll plazas. This is daylight robbery. The Hichilema administration, through this corrupt concession, is allowing foreign companies to exploit Zambian resources for their gain, while ordinary Zambians bear the burden.
The Economic Freedom Fighters-EFF has consistently maintained that this concession was fraudulent from the start. It is nothing more than a scheme to defraud the Zambian people, orchestrated by a few businessmen with connections to the President and his UPND cronies. This is not a deal for the benefit of Zambia, but rather a ploy to enrich a select few and fund the UPND’s re-election bid in 2026.
There is no logical justification for this treacherous act. Why should a foreign company, which has brought no investment to Zambia, be handed control of our toll plazas? The Road Development Agency (RDA) and the National Road Fund Agency (NRFA) should have been tasked with managing the Lusaka-Ndola Dual Carriageway, ensuring that all revenue generated stays within Zambia. Instead, we are now witnessing a scenario where for the next 30 years or more, Zambian motorists will be financing foreign interests.
The Economic Freedom Fighters-EFF demands immediate action from the government. We call for the cancellation of this fraudulent concession and the return of control over the Katuba, Manyumbi, and Kafulafuta Toll Plazas to the Zambian people. The government must prioritize the welfare of its citizens and safeguard our national resources from foreign exploitation.
This underhanded deal, as revealed in the correspondence dated 6th August 2024, shows the depth of this betrayal. The letter, addressed to the Director & Chief Executive Officer of the Road Development Agency, outlines the covert transition process, where toll revenues from these plazas are to be deposited into the Concessionaire’s Escrow Account starting from 19th August 2024. The National Road Fund Agency (NRFA) has shamefully capitulated to this demand, seeking approval from the Ministry of Finance and National Planning to comply with this outrageous request.
We, the Economic Freedom Fighters-EFF, stand firm in our commitment to defending the interests of the Zambian people. We will not allow this government to continue with its reckless squandering of our national resources. We demand transparency, accountability, and the immediate reversal of this fraudulent deal. The time has come for the Zambian people to rise and hold their government accountable for its actions.
Wherever we want to go our feet will take us there.
Issued by:
Kasonde Mwenda C.
President, Economic Freedom Fighters-EFF.
