Welcome to Ngabwe Village, the new Capital of Zambia

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 09:48:55 +0000

By AUGUSTINE PHIRI

The suggestion advanced recently by Minister of Planning, Mr Lucky Mulusa to shift Zambia’s capital from Lusaka to Ngabwe in Central Province has generated heated debate from readers of this column.

This is so because last week’s insertion was devoted solely to this issue.

It is, therefore, only proper that this immediate successive write-up contains reactions from the many devoted readers of this column.

Without much ado, Aston Kasonde writes: “Dear Kapenya, I have read your article in the Daily Nation of 15th June 2017. I’ts a well researched story providing the ‘backside mind’ of Hon Mulusa’s ministerial futuristic plans.

“May I also draw your attention in particular to accessibility toNgabwe district & the borrowed development models from othercountries.

“In order to realise the dream of having a modern new Capital city, government should open up good road networks by upgrading the existing infrastructure including bridges.

“We indeed do not even know which route can lead you up to Ngabwe. Ngabwe was declared a district by President Sata in April 2013. It is situated 300 kilometres approximately North-West of Kapiri Mposhi boma.

“As a local investor, I would love to take my little savings to such an area. Looking at the topography of Ngabwe, it is indeed suitable for a new City because of its abundant natural resources with unutilized landscapes.

“The reasoning for relocating the capital city are already elaborated and well known, but what is interesting is the average lead periods borrowed from other countries like Brazil (Rio de Janeiro to Basilia) 100years, Nigeria (Lagos to Abuja) 77years, Australia (Melbourne to Canberra) many years.

“We can draw our strength from other countries that have done it such as Russia (Moscow to St. Petersburg), Pakistan (Karachi to Islamabad), New Zealand (Auckland to Wellingtone) and Kazakhstan (Almaty to Astana).

“On the African continent we have Nigeria (Lagos to Abuja), Ivory Coast (Abidjan to Yamoussoukro), Malawi (Blantyre to Lilongwe) and Tanzania (Dar Es Salaam to Dodoma).

“Talking about the City of Dar Es Salaam, has the relocation really helped to decongest the mega port city? It’s a big ‘No’. It takes one hour by taxi (12 kilometres ride) from Jomo Kenyata Airport to the nearest middle class Hotel in Kariakoo.

“Economic activities seem to have a bigger impact on certain localities due to comparative advantages.

“This should not discourage us to rally behind Hon. Mulusa’s plans in line with late President Michael Sata’s vision to take development across the country.

“By the way, Zambia’s decentralisation policy, whose some of its recommendations resulted into delimitation and creation of new districts, was actually signed by late President Levy Mwanawasa and Mr Sata picked it as a good countrywide development model.

“We are in a hurry to develop Zambia with all inclusiveness,” concludes Mr Kasonde.

Michael Nabanza posted:” I like the idea. Lusaka is so dirty, nasty and not well planned. Zambia needs a new well planned capital city.

Lusaka is outdated compared to other cities in Africa.”

In support, Patson Zulu writes: “Great idea, Lusaka was not planned well in the beginning because Harare was the then capital of Rhodesia (which included Northern Rhodesia now Zambia). I support this suggestion.”

“Zambia needs a new capital where planning is inclusive of most of the things that qualifies a place to be called a capital city. It would be highly costly to correct the planning of Lusaka than starting a new city on a green field. There are a lot of benefits in creating a new city such as employment creation,” says Jenipher without listing qualities of a capital city.

“This is a brilliant idea and a welcome move. Kabwe is more central for a new city to decongest Lusaka. It may receive much resistance from some people because change is always difficult to come and more often, it comes with mixed feelings,” says contributor calling oneself simply as Bwalya – any gender fits in Bemba.

As if in collaboration, pens Bo Muliokela (not Mr Alex Muliokela, leader of the Poor People’s Party):” I agree with Mulusa, the people opposing the idea have no vision. In 1970 then Minister of Workds and Supply, Mr Valentine Musakanya (late), Minister of Finance, Mr John Mwanakatwe (late) and Mr Alexander Chikwanda came up with a proposal to construct a dual-carriageways from Solwezi to Livingstone and from Mpulungu to Kapiri Mposhi.

“Many people opposed the idea but 47 years later dual carriage ways are being built between Solwezi and Lusaka via Kitwe and Ndola. The Lusaka-Livingstone dual carriageway may just be on the drawing board,” notes Muliokela.

“Mulusa is right about Lusaka not being fit for a capital city,” writes Somusokwe in adding his voice.

“The planning was horrible and to fix Lusaka, a serious cost-benefit analysis is required that would take into account the redundancy of existing facilities.  Some land owners would need to be compensated before pulling down their buildings.

“This happened during the construction of the Tokyo ring-road in Lusaka where some people rushed to obtain plots mostly from cadres and built in haste on the path earmarked for the new road. They were compensated handsomely when their structures were destroyed,” says Chaila in his e-mail contribution.

He adds that a lot of money would be required to re-model Lusaka into a modern capital city and the only option is to build a new capital city as suggested by Mr Mulusa,” Chaila adds.

But not all contributors to the debate are going along with the Planning Minister.

Mukala says: “Building a capital city that is disconnected from everything else? To move from Ngabwe to Kasempa one has to either drive through Luanshya (600 kilometres) or through Mumbwa (800 kilometres). This is the place that is within 150 kilometres from Kasempa. Chibombo would have made more sense.”

He says Lusaka is not congested perceived by some people but that the capital city is just dirty which he says can be cleaned up.

Mukala has challenged those who have dubbed Lusaka as being congested to visit Bangkok in the far east to find out what the people thee did 29 years ago to get traffic moving again.

“Consider ground metro services, elevated highways across the city and circular roads and motorways around Lusaka so that traffic transiting across the country do not have to pass through Lumumbsa road,” he writes.

Mukala feels that circula roads would help to get traffic from Chilanga go through Makeni to Lusaka west or from Chongwe to Chisamba directly via Ngwere.

The four entry points into Lusaka – Kafue Road, Great East Road, Great North Road and Mumbwa Road – are the real constraints.

As for land for building, Mukala advices to learn to build upwards and not sideways and that if one thought that Lusaka has no land, Hong Kong is the place to learn how creative other cultures are.

Chumya says Lusaka just needs cleaning and re-organising and that the capital has a lot of land for expansion between Lusaka and Chonwe and Lusaka and Kafue. “What will happen when the new Ngabwe capital gets dirty like Lusaka, abandon it and create another capital?” he queries.

But Joyce has a question for the Ministry of National Planning: “What has happened to the Master Plan for Lusaka funded by the Japanese government? Implementing this plan can help re-model Lusaka instead of creating a new capital.”

Refusing to be left behind, Chiwele has this to say: “This is day dreaming. Lusaka was well planned and can be decongested by getting urban planners. Remove some buildings, activate commuter railways using electric rail cars to reduce on fuel currently being spent on locomotives.

This is much cheaper than saying something beyond us.” Chiwele cites Tanzania which declared Dodoma capital 30 years ago “they are still struggling to move all government offices there.”

On the reasoning of central location, Mutale says a capital does not have to be at the centre of a country and gives as examples London, Cape Town, Washington, Cairo and Beijing to mention a few which he says are not geographically centered.

“Authorities in these capitals are not talking about shifting their not centered capital cities and they have the means to switch capitals,” He says.

Many other contributors were concerned about whether or not Zambia has the money to build the Capital City of Ngabwe.

“Not a good idea for God’s sake. We still have kids with no proper classrooms, hospitals without beddings and medicines and you tell me our priority should be a fancy new capital?” screamed an anonymous e-mailer. Perhaps, a Commission of Inquiry is required to go round the country gathering evidence about whether Ngabwe or indeed any other village in Zambia should strip Lusaka of its capital city status.

Let us do something and let God help us decide without doubt on this topic.