GOVERNMENT NOT BEING SINCERE ON THE NDOLA-LUSAKA DUAL CARRIAGEWAY DEAL
21st August, 2023
We have noticed deliberate and heightened publicity stunts by the UPND Government meant to hoodwink Zambians into believing that the works on the Ndola-Lusaka dual carriageway have actually begun in ernest.
There is a carefully calculated propaganda ploy to misinform and mislead the Zambian public into believing that the controversial Ndola-Lusaka dual carriageway has actually started bearing fruits.
From the outset, we wish to reiterate our position that we totally oppose Government’s decision to use our hard-earned Zambians’ pension money from NAPSA and Workers Compensation Board Fund to finance the project and give away the rights and ownership to collect toll fees to the same foreign companies for the next 25 years from our road built with our own money.
It is our patriotic view that the correct position was for Government to pay for the construction works and then own and control the collection of toll fees. That way, the money and jobs would have remained in Zambia and not shipped outside.
The deal in its current format and structure is a daylight robbery and reeks of corruption.
Let us now address the substantive matters:
We wish to challenge Government to show proof that Macro Ocean Investment Consortium, the Consortium that has been awarded the tender to construct the Ndola-Lusaka dual carriageway has actually attained the financial clause for the Ndola-Lusaka Road.
The Consortium may have started repair works for the current single carriageway but that does not mean the project works for the dual carriageway have started.
We find the President’s vague statement that he gave at his last press briefing inaccurate and inadequate, therefore misleading.
We hereby ask Government to truthfully and comprehensively answer the following questions:
1. Has the Macro Oceans Consortium finalised funding and financial structuring and discussions with the would be funders yet?
2. If so, has the issue of expropriation and compensation for the households and businesses that will be displaced by the construction of the dual carriageway been finalised and if so who is responsible for the compensation?
3. Is the Government part of the Consortium?
4. When the total expropriation compensation amount is added to the figure quoted by the Consortium, how much does the total cost of the dual carriageway come to?
It is important that Government truthfully respond to these questions since the money involved is Zambians taxpayers’ money and it must be accounted for.
Issued by;
Antonio M. Mwanza
Deputy General Secretary
Socialist Party Zambia