PF UPSET THAT GOVT HAS TERMINATED OVER 190 FEEDER ROAD CONTRACTS AWARDED GIVEN TO ITS ( PF) CADRES
By Mabvuto Mtonga
The government has with immediate effect terminated 199 poorly-performing feeder road contracts totalling 7,685.95 kilometres that were procured by the PF regime at a whooping K10.4 billion.
According to a spreadsheet indicating the terminated road contracts and the contractors involved, K2, 942, 800, 537.41 was already paid out on these poorly-performing feeder road contracts out of the K10.4 billion.
Among the contractors who have been affected by this mass termination of road contracts, include Chipangali PF member of parliament, Andrew Lubusha, whose Andrich Freights Company Ltd features prominently on the list.
On one contract awarded to Lubusha, a former Eastern Province PF chairperson, on May 15, 2020, was contracted to rehabilitate the 49-kilometre Chong to Chifumbo via Chinunda to Msoro Road at a cost of over K47 million.
For attaining a 64 percent progression rate, Lubusha was paid K26,702,935.21 after the works were certified. Lubusha has several other contracts in several parts of the country for which he was paid millions of Kwacha despite performing poorly.
Also making the list is Bangweulu PF member of parliament Chanda Katotobwe’s Tomorrow Investments, not new to such terminations as president Levy Mwanawasa blacklisted this company in 2007 for corrupt dealings.
But among many other such contracts, the PF regime on April 2, 2018 awarded Tomorrow Investments a contract for the periodic maintenance of the 17 kilometres Chamasongwe School Road in Chipata, Eastern Province.
Despite the contractor’s vivid poor performance on the project which was awarded at a cost of over K30 million, Katotobwe was paid K30,157,374.55 after the works were certified.
The list of contractors affected by the termination of these feeder road contracts, further includes Middlecreet Civil Contractors, Oastermans Agencies, Jonda Contractors, Beng Wave Investments Ltd, Shachitari Contractors, Dan Prod General Dealers, Kapomu General Dealers, NAB Africa Enterprises, Teviem Enterprises.
Others are Norwood Enterprises Ltd, Infasim Contractors, Northrise Engineering, DWA Zambia Ltd, Mount Olive, Ziluchi Investments Ltd, Mitcho Technical Works, Jermha Investments Ltd, Vineline Investments, Suppworks (Z) Ltd, Skylink, Pineware Enterprises, Skadi Investments, and Oak Build (Z) Ltd.
Further, the other affected contractors are CCICC, Rapid Foster Investments, Exoline Investments Ltd, Midrands Business Systems, Kabju Construction, Dreamlight Enterprises, Lusemuk, G.M. Enterprises, Vichili Vikwiza Trading Co., and Nsochita General Contractors, among others.-Koswe