By JOHN SAKALA
‘Attach Zambian contractor to every job that is given to foreign firms,’ National Council for Construction (NCC) Executive Director Matthew Ngulube has told Mulonga Water and Sewerage Company.
Speaking today when State House delegation visited Mulonga Water offices at Zamtel in Chingola, Mr Ngulube said the 20 per cent is a Law and there should be no excuse of failing to give it to Zambian contractors.
He said the size and the sophistication of the project shouldn’t matter but Zambians must be given jobs, even just to do excavation works until it meets up the 20 per cent.
“We will also need Mulonga Water to allow us scrutinize all firms awarded with construction works because some are using fake construction certificates. We will also need the road map for easy follow up,” he said.
And Special Assistant to the President for Projects, Implementation and Monitoring Andrew Chellah who applauded Mulonga Water for giving some jobs to Zambians urged the firm to remain on the path.
Mr Chellah said some Chinese and South African firms tend to resist giving out the 20 per cent saying Zambian working culture is bad but urged Mulonga to remain focused and ensure that on each project, the 20 per cent is awarded to Zambians.
“Like the pipe laying in Chililabombwe, the excavation works should have been done by Zambians unlike giving it wholly to foreign firm on pretext that the job was mega,” he said.
Mr Chellah said he returned to Chingola after President Edgar Lungu was told by some residents that some houses in town have no water.
When President Lungu visited Chingola recently, he took a walk along 14th Street where he was engaging residents on why they are failing to maintain greens after the road was done.
In response one of the residents said she was not receiving water from the utility firm.
The President then instructed Copperbelt Minister Japhen Mwakalombe to end the water blues and also told Mr Chellah to visit Mulonga Water.
And Mulonga Water Managing Director Kanyembo Ndhlovu said the utility firm is able to meet the demands for half of the town where the utility firm has total control over raw water.
But Mr Ndhlovu said the water treatment plant located inside Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) is giving several challenges thereby affecting supply of water to the other half of Chingola.
He said the water treatment plant is smaller to provide for a large community.
“We also have the challenge of raw water from the mines. The treatment plant inside KCM receives raw water from the mines and when we are not given it becomes a problem. These are ZCCM historical arrangements which with time and expansion at the mine, they also need more raw water for processing their copper.
“But we are coordinating well and we have budgeted some amount to build another water treatment plant most likely away from the mine so that we move away from water with mineral particles which affects the colour of our water,” he said.
Other members of the entourage were State House Chief Analyst for Policy, Implementation and Motoring Joseph Mukupa, NCC Director for Registration and Regulation Ernest Nshindamo and State House Coordinator Kunda Chani.
Mr Ndhlovu was accompanied Mulonga Water Director for Infrastructure Ndila Hamalambo.
