anvil offers to help with zambian boat

Zambia: Chipampe Queries Purchase of Boat






The Post (Lusaka)

April 20, 2006
Posted to the web April 20, 2006

Nomusa Michelo
Nchelenge

NCHELENGE member of parliament Rosemary Chipampe has called on the Ministry of Communication and Transport to explain how it procured a non-functional water vessel worth K1 billion.

In an interview, Chipampe who is also local government deputy minister revealed that the boat procured by the ministry for the Mweru Water Transport Board was incomplete and not even running.

"I want to express disappointment with the Ministry of Communication and Transport because I was in the House (Parliament), I lobbied for money for the water vessel and the government gave us K1 billion," she said. "Everybody who comes here thinks there is a boat that has been bought. And yet the boat we have here cannot even cost more than K50 million. I don't know what went wrong with the procurement of a proper boat. And the people are very very disappointed."

Chipampe said the boat was not complete as it had no windows. "We have actually requested the owner to come and finish it properly." She urged the ministry to look into the matter.

And Chipampe expressed disappointment with the Nchelenge council for not submitting a project proposal to Anvil Mining who have offered to sponsor any project the local authority felt would benefit the larger community.




"I am disappointed with the council. Anvil is willing to assist us in the area of water but I think the council has let us down," Chipampe said. "I would like to appeal to the council management to be a bit more serious in the way they execute their duties because the cost of a project proposal is not more that K500,000. I implore them to look into the writing of a project proposal so that Anvil can assist us."

Chipampe, who was in Nchelenge for party constituency nominations, drove to the district in a government vehicle despite a directive by Ministry of Works and Supply for leaders in government to use their own vehicles for activities outside government business. Chipampe, when asked what activities she was attending to in the district said: " I'm here because this is my constituency."

Last week Ministry of Works and Supply Permanent Secretary Colonel Bizwayo Nkunika said the ministry had received requests from leaders in government to use government vehicles on private trips but could only be allowed with permission from State House.