DELAYED MUNGWI MAIN MARKET UPSETS MINISTER

LINDA SOKO TEMBO writes

DELAYS to complete construction of K15 million Mungwi main market whose works started in 2015 has upset Northern Province minister Bwalya Chunga

Mr Chunga said there was no justifiable reason why the market should delay to be completed when the contractor was given a substantial down payment of K 8, 000, 000.

In a statement issued by Patriotic Front Northern Province youth secretary Chanda Nsofu, Mr Chunga expressed his disappointment when he visited Mungwi district on his familiarization tour.

Mr Chunga summoned Mungwi district council chairperson Gift Lwembe and his council secretary Mabvuto Masiye to explain what had caused the delays.

Mr Lwembe and Mr Masiye were at pains to explain what had caused the delays in the construction of the market.

 “There is no reason why the market should delay being completed for four years when the contractor has been given a substantial amount of K 8 million,” he said.

Mr Lwembe explained that the project was awarded in Lusaka to Stout One Construction company directly by the Ministry of Local Government and that Mungwi Council was not availed the signed contract before it started work.

He said the contractor was making it difficult for the council to monitor and evaluate the project before he died.

But Mr Chunga said that the reasons advanced by Mr Lwembe were not valid enough considering the fact that him and his council secretary were ever in Lusaka for workshops and would have taken advantage of the opportunity to ask for and collect the contract.  

He directed Mr Lwembe and Mr Masiye to make follow-ups on the issue and collect the contract forms from the ministry so that he could be updated before the month end of August.