N/West road facelift: Govt scores a first
By CHILA NAMAIKO
AS everyone recognises the value of road infrastructure in the country’s economy, it is essential that roads, whether graveled or tarred are in a favourable state for safe movement of goods from one destination to another.
Zambia, as a landlocked country with no direct access to the seaports, heavily depends on the international borders for her commercial and other transportation of goods to and from.
Bad roads and bridges not only damage vehicles but also cause numerous traffic accidents as motorists try to swerve from one roadway to the other to dodge potholes in the middle of the road.
Without proper road systems, development will only remain a pipedream because a good road gives confidence to local and foreign investors to ferry commodities to intended areas for available markets.
To ensure roads and bridges are maintained, the Government established the Road Development Agency (RDA) whose core functions are to provide good road infrastructure for the country’s sustainable development.
RDA carries out routine and emergency maintenance of public roads through its employees or independent contractors to provide safe and accessible roads to spur socio-economic growth.
The agency further regulates maximum permissible weights on roads, conducts studies for the road development, repairs and improvement of the road network and reviews design standards and classification.
Though the country progresses in achieving economic growth, several roads, however, have remained underdeveloped since 1964 when it gained political independence due to challenges of huge funds required to tar just one kilometre (km) of a road.
Provinces such as North-Western that now contain a boom of mining and agriculture activities still grapples with tarring of its major roads like much talked about Mutanda-Chavuma Road and some residents say their area has not gained full benefits of development plans under first Republican president Kenneth Kaunda that involved the tarring of that road.
Kabompo District stakeholders’ chairperson Rodgers Chiyemba says it appears as though past governments under presidents Kaunda, Levy Mwanawasa were not much concerned about that road.
Mr Chiyemba says he has lived in that district from 1960s and the poor state of Kabompo-Kasempa Road has been a barbed issue because it remained on gravel since construction.
Misheck Chembe a local Kabompo District farmer grows maize and beans. He says he can not transport his produces for larger markets to big towns like Solwezi or Luanshya. On several occasions he found difficulties to carry his goods because motorists complained of bad road.
“I have to suffer before I find vehicle to carry my produces. If only this road can be upgraded, I think it could be real development we could receive here,” he said.
In Zambezi District, Derrick Luwiya, a rice grower, says diversification of North-Western needs province a good road network. This will enhance investment in promoting agricultural with development of mining activities at Lumwana and Kansanshi.
Mr Luwiya is a supplier of rice to the Zambezi rice factory supported by the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC).
He says he could sale his produce preferably Copperbelt where he could make more monies but the road hinders his dreams.
Poor road systems disrupt development and undermines future for significant sectors like mining and agriculture said to be among driving factors behind economic growth in North-Western Province.
President Banda, however, said he would upgrade such deplorable roads including those left unttared by his predecessors Dr Kaunda, Dr Chiluba and late Dr Mwanawasa.
He has since called for acceleration of road construction and rehabilitation works in all provinces following the end of the rainy season
Mr Banda recently directed Ministry of Finance and National Planning (MoFNP) to immediately mobilise additional resources to upgrade main roads throughout the country this year.
Among other specified road networks, Mr Banda wants to see constructed are Mutanda-Chavuma in North-Western, Zimba-Livingstone, Choma-Chitongo-Namwala in Southern Province, Kasama-Luwingu in Northern Province, Chipata-Lundazi Road in Eastern Province.
It is for this reason the Government porches funds from bilateral cooperation like China and multilateral institutions such as International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, Development Bank of Southern Africa, Danida through the Nordic Development Fund (NDF).
President Banda is committed to improving growth through enhancing of road infrastructure in the country. He has further called for private sector to work closely with his Government through Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative.
Mr Banda is working to ensure the National Road Fund Agency (NRFA) has sufficient resources to fund RDA to carry out plans, care, maintenance and construction of public road and bridges countrywide.
NRFA is a statutory body created under Act No. 13 of 2002 responsible for administering and managing all financial resources (Road Fund) in the road sector.
Its vision is to be a world model in the mobilisation and management of road sector. Its responsibilities are to coordinate and manage various donor funds under the Road Sector Investment Programme (ROADSDIP Phase one and Phase two).
The Government, through RDA, has embarked on a broad Road Sector Investment Programme (ROADSIP) to construct, maintain, rehabilitate and upgrade roads in all provinces.
RDA senior manager construction and maintenance Stephen Malubila says RDA’s focus is improving the Core Road Network (CRN) identified taking into account international or provincial linkages, poverty alleviation and agricultural marketing activities.
Mr Malubila recently lead a team of Journalists from major media institutions; Times of Zambia, Zambia Daily Mail, Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), POST Newspapers and Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) to inspect road projects in North-Western, Copperbelt and Central provinces.
In North-Western, the upgrading of long awaited Mutanda-Chavuma Road has brought happiness to the locals who describe the move by MMD Government as real development ever received beside mines.
Senior Chief Mwata Ishindi of the Lunda people says his people are grateful with President Banda for concerted efforts to release huge funds to tar Mutanda-Chavuma that has had gravel since independence.
Chief Ishindi said the upgrading of that road by RDA has built and much desired confidence from residents because the Government had finally answered their cries to tar that road.
He said the residents are thankful to President Banda because he has empowered them through creation of massive employment opportunities from contractors engaged on road projects.
Chief Ishindi said several of residents in the province had benefited from road projects and the development has since sealed a larger gap of joblessness thereby decreasing poverty levels.
Zambezi DC Bisalome Luwaile said Mutanda-Chavuma Road is critical to national development because it will facilitate opening up of more trade links with Angola.
And Mr Malubila, who was accompanied by RDA head of public relations Loyce Saili and senior provincial officials, said the Government is desirous to upgrade main roads and bridges in North-Western because it has become a hive of development in mining, agriculture and exploration of oil fields hence needs better road networks
He said RDA has sourced K270 billion to upgrade road infrastructure in North-Western Province and two new contracts were awarded to tar Mutanda-Chavuma Road whose construction works is divided into three lots due to length of that road.
Mr Malubila explained that the first contract lot was awarded to China New Era International Engineering Corporation to tar 79 kilometres of Kabompo-Mumbezhi Road at a cost of about K93 billion.
The second contract lot was awarded to China Geo Engineering Corporation to tar 75kilometre stretch Mumbezhi-Zambezi Road at K89 billion. On the last contract lot of Zambezi-Chavuma Road to sum up Mutanda-Chavuma Road, Mr Malubila said it would be worked in due course.
“The delay to upgrade this remaining stretch of Zambezi-Chavuma is because the contract has not yet been signed. It is still being tendered but as soon as everything is finalised, a suitable contractor will be engaged to start the road works,” Mr Malubila said.
Another contractor, Belgar Trading and Construction limited is tarring 225 Kms of M8 Kasempa turn off to Kabompo. Its initial contract sum in September 2001 was US$ 46 million and work was expected to be completed in June 2005.
Mr Malubila, however, said both the completion date and contract sum of that road were revised to December 2010 to a cost of US$ 53 million financed by the Government. So far, more than 138.8 Kilometres of the entire 225 Kilometres road have been paved with scope of work including upgrading the road to bituminous standards with double surface dressing.
He told Provincial Deputy Permanent Secretary Nkolola Hazemba when he paid a courtesy call on him that RDA is optimistic Belgar construction limited would complete the road works by December this year.
“It is our hope this road will be completed by December this year and come January 2011 the people of this province will be safely using that tarred road,” he said
Belgar limited resident engineer Gerrison Ochieng said one of the challenges his company faced was the non-availability of gravel in the area but was certain by December it would be completed.
RDA has also sourced about US$300 million from the Development Bank of Southern Africa for upgrading of several other dilapidated roads and bridges throughout the country such as Zambezi-Chavuma Road, Landless-Mumbwa in Central Province, Senanga-Sesheke, Western Province and Chipata-Lundazi in Eastern Province.
Mr Hazemba said people are delighted with RDA for considering North-Western Province to have its major roads tarred from gravel to bituminous standard and looked forward for completion.
RDA is reconstructing and resurfacing the 191 Km Lumwana-Mwinilunga Road at a cost of K67 billion by Roads and Paving Contractors. RDA provincial construction engineer Ngabane Manda said 25 kilometres of the road will be reconstructed, while 166 kilometres will be resurfaced.
He said the road should be periodically maintained because of the Lumwana Mine and there was also another investor who is currently carrying out mineral exploration in that area.
And Ms Saili said by next month, eight per cent of the road works would have been done although initial completion was expected last year but due inadequate funding of the project delayed the completion period.
On the Copperbelt Province, RDA has tarred 50 kilometres Luansobe-Mpongwe Road by China Henan International Corporation at K90 billion. The road works have has been completed and only remained with road markings.
This means that Mpongwe, Machiya and Luwishi areas are now well connected to the rest of other districts in the province as well as t o Ndola, Kapiri Mposhi en-route to Lusaka.
Ms Saili said the workmanship and quality of pavements and drainage works are satisfactory and the overall construction work quality is standard and completion of the project stands at 92 per cent.
“As you know tarring a road is costly and this is a big project, so we give a defect liability period of 12 months after the project is complete on which any defects which may arise may be dealt with,” she said.
The residents of Mpongwe District are cheered with tarring of that road saying it would easier access to markets for their produce. One of the residents, Maybin Ndongo, a local farmer, said he was happy with the works being undertaken by the contractor.
Mr Ndongo said upgrading of that road from gravel meant that the locals would have easy access of products to the market. Another Mpongwe resident, Mary Nalumba, a Gardner said RDA had done a good job to tar the road.
Provincial regional engineer Thomas Zimba said tarring of Mpongwe-Luansobe Road will enhance faster and smooth transportation of farm produces since Mpongwe is well established in agricultural activities and connectivity of the area to Lusaka.
Red Lion Construction Limited was engaged to upgrade 23.35 Kilometres of various urban roads in Chingola town at K33.6 billion and completion works is expected in March 2011.Once completed, Mr Zimba said, it will improve roads that have not been worked on for many years.
RDA in partnership with the Rural Road Unit (RRU) is also carrying out maintenance works on the 20 kilometres Kafulafuta-Luanshya Road at K2 billion and works would be completed by end this month.
The road developed severe potholes due to heavily traffic by commercial vehicles that carry goods to mines both to Copperbelt and North-Western Province even beyond to countries like DRC, Zimbabwe, Namibia.
Mr Zimba said RDA and RRU are also maintaining 60 Kilometres Kalulushi-Lufwanyama Road at K1.3 billion and 21 Kilometres of 60 Kilometres is paved and about 45 per cent works are completed, while the remainder is suspended pending possible tendering for upgrading.
He and other RDA officials also inspected newly constructed and completed K1 billion Munkulungwe Bridge that connects Masala Secondary School-Commando-Mushili Road in Ndola.
The amrco culvert which was initially the drainage structure was washed away during 2006/2007 rainy season. This caused adverse effects to the people in Mushili chiefdom that depended on agriculture for livelihood and this implied that the whole area was cut off from social amenities from Ndola.
RDA and RRU were also working on 42 kilometres Mufulira, Sabina and Mokambo Road at K500 million. The first phase of pothole patching had been completed while other works had so far covered 18 kilometres.
In Central Province, RDA has completed periodic maintenance of Nansanga Farm Bloc stretch of 151 kilometres at cost of K28.6 billion by China Geo-Engineering Corporation Southern Africa limited. The contract comprised three sections roads as FTC-Nansanga Farm (65kilometres), Mutale School Road (30kilometres) And Mulilima-Nansanga Farm Bloc (56 kilometres).
On construction of bridges, provincial regional engineer Gilbert Nkweto said, Luombwa Bridge has been completed while Ifuna was half way complete and Nyamanda was still at foundation stage all constructed at a cost of K14 billion.
He said Spencon and Polyphase engineers are engaged on construction of the bridges and completion work is expected by October this year. China Geo-Engineering Corporation Southern Africa Limited had further rehabilitated 17.2 Kilometres feeder roads at K3 billion in Serenje District.
Serenje DC Stanslous Chibwana is happy with road works and said the Government also electrified a 90 kilometres stretch from Zesco sub-station to Kabeta.
In Kapiri Mposhi RDA rehabilitated 39.2 kilometres of feeder roads at K8 billion, funded by the European Union (EU).
The Government has shown political will to promote an equitable economic growth and better living conditions in the country by bringing about sustainable improvement in condition of transport infrastructure.
It is no doubt such huge road projects RDA is undertaking in various parts of the country should be commended because it has created positive impact on lives of citizens in various localities.
