Mon, 14 Aug 2017 14:18:16 +0000
By Violet Tembo
ROAD construction projects in Chingola have attracted hordes of job seekers, says District Commissioner Mary Chibesa.
Ms Chibesa said the local labour office was overwhelmed with people seeking employment for the three running road construction projects.
She said the numbers of job seekers could not be absorbed by the three projects in the district.
“From the time that the President launched the Copperbelt C-400 road project in Chingola for the construction of about 400-km of roads on the Copperbelt there has been huge numbers of job seekers that have flocked to my office wanting to be employed,
“We understand the situation because the Head of State did make it clear that these projects must empower local people by awarding them employment but the contractor Avic International are saying they will be employing gradually.
They are saying 60 to 70 people per period and we ask ourselves what to do we do with the remaining numbers? We do not know what to do,” she said.
Ms Chibesa indicated that the Road Development Agency (RDA) had since approved the road designs submitted by Avic and it was expected that construction would kick off this week.
And the mayor, Mr Titus Tembo said that the three running road pro jects included contracts of 5.9 kilometres awarded to China Geo to do all the detours done from Chingola – Solwezi turn off.
China Hydro would be working be working on the Chingola -Kitwe dual carriage way with Avic concentrating on the C400.
Mr Tembo said Avic has made progress in putting up a camp house where all machinery and offices were expected to sit.
He said the district has been lagging behind in terms of road infrastructure development which was not the wish of government.
He said previously government had awarded contractors to work on the roads in the district but failed to deliver for lack of capacity.
“It is everyone’s hope that the roads will be done because we have been driving on bad roads for a very long time. And with the three projects, it has shown light at the end of the tunnel that Chingola is bound to be transformed,” Mr Tembo said.
In June this year President Edgar Lungu launched the Copperbelt 400 (C-400) project in Chingola for the construction of about 400km of roads in the province.
