FOOD FOR THOUGHT
By Sean Tembo – PeP President
1. Between 2015 and 2018, the American Government through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) say that they spent more than $350 million as a donation to Zambia, to improve storm water drainage, water reticulation and sewer systems in selected parts of Lusaka including Kaunda Square stage 1 & 2, Kamanga, Chelstone, Avondale and Mtendere.
2. The only visible infrastructure arising from this project is the bombay drainage system where they put some concrete slab in selected parts of Ngwerere stream from Kamwala to around Kabanana, the upgrading of Kaunda Square sewer ponds where they put a wire fence around the ponds, as well as the erection of a ground water tank under the main water tank in Chelstone.
3. Suffice to mention that flooding in these parts of Lusaka has not improved even a little bit, whereas water reticulation has been made even worse. Before MCC installed the ground water tank in Chelstone, the residents of Avondale used to be subjected to low water pressure. Now, they are subjected to no water at all. I know this for a fact because my mother lives in the area.
4. It is not in contention that this $350 million was a donation and therefore we shouldn’t perhaps ask too many questions. But truth be told, that is a lot of money compared to the actual infrastructure on the ground which this money is said to have bought under this project. As a contrast, we have seen the kind of infrastructure at the newly commissioned Kenneth Kaunda International Conference Centre, which China was able to build with a donation of only $60 million, which is less than 20 percent of the money which the Americans claim to have spent under the MCC project.
5. In conclusion, l have always held the Americans in high esteem as competent and accountable people. But l think the MCC project was a fraud in either one or both of two ways. It is either the US Government exaggerated the amount they claim to have donated to Zambia through MCC, or US taxpayers were defrauded and most of the $350 million was diverted to other purposes and not the MCC project, or both. When l look at the work done under this project, it couldn’t have cost more than $50 million, which leaves more than $300 million unaccounted for. That is in addition to the fact that the project totally failed to achieve its key objectives, as water reticulation and drainage systems are still very poor in these selected parts of Lusaka. So much for American competence and accountability. Indeed, this should be food for thought.
Happy new month ✌️✌️✌️
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SET 01.06.2022