Edgar Chagwa Lungu commissions Lusaka’s Arcades Fly-over Bridge Friday, 30th October, 2020

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Republic of Zambia Speech delivered by His Excellency Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu President of the republic of Zambia on the occasion of commissioning the Arcades Fly-over Bridge Friday, 30th October, 2020

State House Lusaka

Secretary General of the Patriotic Front, Mr. Davies Mwila;

Minister of Local Government, Hon. Charles Banda;

Lusaka Province Minister, Hon. Bowman Lusambo;

other Cabinet Ministers present;

Indian High Commissioner to Zambia, Your Excellency Mr. Ngulkham Jathom Gangte;

Senior Government officials;

Representatives from AFCONS Infrastructure Limited and other contractors;

Chief Executive Officers present;

Members of The Press;

Distinguished Invited Guests;

Ladies and Gentlemen;

Good morning.

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It has always been my dream to see the face of Lusaka, and the entire Zambia change; and change for the better.

Two days ago, we were remembering President Michael Chilufya Sata, whose vision, amongst many other things, was to see the transformation of Zambia through infrastructure development. President Sata would not have been disappointed to see what we have done in fulfilling his dream.

Lusaka has been transformed. Zambia has been transformed.

Zambians always have stories to tell when they visit countries that have modern infrastructure. Stories are told about road networks, shopping malls, internet connectivity and many other nice things witnessed by people who have travelled to other countries.  Not anymore.

We have created our own beautiful sites, including where we are here.

Just take a minute and look around, what do you see? We have a marvel of a fly-over bridge I am commissioning today.  We have built other fly-over bridges, and we are still building some more.

What about the shopping malls around Zambia? The universities, the hospitals, the airports, and still the bridges like the Mongu-Kalabo Bridge, and the Kazungula bridge which is yet to be commissioned.

What about the roads that have been built or rebuilt? All these and many other infrastructures have been built by my administration in the very shortest possible time of our stay in government.

This is the promise that we made to the Zambian people, and we are not ashamed to tell our people that, yes we borrowed to change the face of Zambia.

Of course our critics have said, and they continue to campaign, that we were reckless for having borrowed. But they are shy to tell the people frankly how that money we borrowed has been used. This is how that money was used.

If it may ask; what is better, borrowing to transform the country; or not borrowing and doing nothing at all?

It is from borrowing that we have managed to rebuild Lusaka. And some people question why too many projects in Lusaka? Lusaka off course is the capital city of Zambia; and we have to rebuild Lusaka because it is the face of Zambia. Even international travelers arrive in Lusaka before driving or flying to other areas of the country.

But then again, investment can only come to Lusaka and the rest of Zambia if we have a proper road network because investors do not want to put up factories or investments where there are no roads.

How can they transport their products where there are bad roads or no roads at all? Investors believe in efficiency, and they do not want to spend hours on short distances due to bad roads.

And once investors flood our country due to good roads, jobs will be created and that is what it cares about.  I want every Zambian to be in work to contribute to the development of our country.  It pains me to see our youth come to events like this uninvited often times only because they have little or nothing else to do.

I want the youth to be in employment of any kind and contribute to rebuilding mother Zambia. We need to rebuild Zambia together. This is why when my critics talk about stopping projects I tell them, do you want the lucky few who are in employment to be thrown out into the streets soon. The answer is no.

It is rebuilding Zambia that will create employment, and our projects have indeed helped to keep our people in employment.

This is why I should take this moment to thank the Indian government for the financial support to the Lusaka decongestion project of which this bridge I am commissioning today is a culmination.  To the Indian government, I say thank you very much.

My government has committed to finance 15 percent of the project while the Indian government, through EXIM bank has committed 85 percent funding to the project that will decongest Lusaka.

The total road works is 120.7 kilometers and I am happy that Zambian contractors, apart from AFCONS of India, are participating in rebuilding Lusaka. Even AFCONS have employed Zambian engineers and other workers.

The details of this project include a new outer ring road that has been built from Kafue road to new Mumbwa road.  It further stretches from Lusaka west and joins the great north road.

Apart from this bridge I am commissioning now, we have the Munali fly-over bridge, only four kilometers from here and about to be completed. The Makeni fly-over bridge was completed and commissioned and works are underway at the long acres roundabout for another fly-over bridge. Works are also in progress at the Kabwe and Kafue fly-over bridges.

Not only that, we have seen the expansion of roads at Mosi-o-tunya, Chindo-Bishop, Friday’s Corner, Nangwenya-Kamloops-Alick Nkhata, Kamloops, Longacres to Alick Nkhata, Kudu Road and Kabulonga Road.

Also expanded are Munali-Mutumbi, Kafue-Mumbwa, Zambezi Road and Nangwenya Road.

More importantly, through this project alone, over 1000 direct jobs have been created and numerous business opportunities for Zambians made available.

We surely as PF Government deserve accolades for this amazing and unprecedented development.

As for the former first lady, her Excellency Christine Kaseba-Sata, who is now Ambassador in France where she lives. As our ambassador, said this week, and I quote:

“I even got lost when I saw the new road

network.” end of quote. Yes, madam, we have fulfilled your dear husband’s dream.

And to you Madam Kaseba Sata are not the only one to appreciate and say these words. A diplomat, who left Zambia and was visiting recently, could not remember many areas of Lusaka because of the way Lusaka has been transformed.

I, therefore, want to urge our cooperating partners to continue supporting us because we have the will and the zeal to rebuild Zambia. I also wish to urge all Zambians to appreciate what we have done and encourage us to even do more.

 

Let me conclude by commending you minister of local government and your entire team, all the contractors on this project, and the people who are most dear to my heart – the workers, for this amazing work. Keep it up.

 

This seven hundred metres bridge, beginning today, will help decongest traffic here at the intersection of great east, Thabo Mbeki and Katima Mulilo roads. This great news applies to all the points that have been transformed already under this project. This is no mean achievement.

May I now officially declare the Arcades Fly-over Bridge officially commissioned.

God bless you all. God bless Zambia.

I thank you.