ON INEPTITUDE [The Sorry, Sad and Scandalous Case of Roads in Zambia/The Gory Tale of Link 8000]: It is NOT in dispute that Zambia needs infrastructure such as roads. That such investment must come with sound planning and fiscal discipline in its implementation is the very definition of good governance. However, what is obtaining in this sector in Zambia today will bring tears to any sane and discerning citizen. There is gross ineptitude, failure and sickening corruption in the execution of the Link 8000 project in Zambia today. About 99% of all roads under this project are NOT DESIGNED. Note that to design a road, it takes about 6 months. And the PF [Zambias ruling party], because of a morbid craving for a quick buck and gross incompetence ignored this vital requirement of project management. Instead, these roads are being constructed under PROVIDIONAL BOQs [Bill of Quantities], with what is called, for example, the cut and fill not included in the costing on commencement of construction. In simple language, this is akin to giving the contractors a blank cheque. This is how corruption is facilitated. As a consequence, all these roads are OVERPRICED. For example, per kilometre of road in Zambia, we are spending 700 million US dollars more than South Africa [In the end, note the paradox, the quality of road is better in South Africa than here in Zambia]. Eiish!! It hurts! Further, for each contract awarded to a contractor, at least 20% of the road works must be SUBCONTRACTED to a Zambian. NOTE that the subcontracting is NOT open to all Zambians. Those subcontracted, for each contract, are hand/cherry-picked by the PF. This policy of subcontrcting was introduced to be open and to empower Zambian regarless of political affiliation. has been abused. And now, the horror continues, about 98% of all those Zambians subcontracted [PF cadres] have failed to perform the contracts. Instead, they have resorted to selling the contracts back to the main contractor. If ever you were looking for policy failure under the PF here is one. The PF, under this mechanism, have failed to empower Zambians as envisaged. Reasons for this, range from lack of technical as well as financial capacity of the subcontractors to sheer ineptitude. As if this was not enough, the money the Zambian government pays the main contractor, mainly foreign, plays very little role in the Zambian economy because, immediately we pay, it is tranferred out and banked in the source countries of these companies [Capital flight]. Very little trickles back on a need-to-use basis only. Illustrated above is merely a synopsis of the rot that is extant in the PF government. There is need to quickly remedy all this for the sake of bettering the lives of ordinary citizens of our Republic. So if ever you were looking for yet one more reason to vote out the PF and reorder Zambia, start afresh as dictated by the Jubilee spirit, here is one. VOTE UPND and all this rottenness will end. The UPND will continue with infrastructural development but in a phased, fiscally disciplined and sustainable manner. Take heed! Aluta continua! Lord hear us!
Posted on: Tue, 25 Nov 2014 20:27:02 +0000
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