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UPND challenges State over Kabwe roads
Kabwe, June 10, 2013, ZANIS —— Opposition UPND youths in the central province have appealed to the government to push ARZ, the road contractor working on roads in Kabwe to speed up the works.
Provincial youth chairperson, Milner Mwanakampwe, said the residents of Kabwe have lost their patience over the slow pace at which the road works are being done.
The youths complained that the dustcoming from the ripped-off tar roads was becoming too much and posing a health hazard to the people.
Mr Mwanakampwe claimed that the central province has received a raw deal from the PF government on infrastructure development especially in the road sector which he said lacked serious supervision on the contractor engaged to do the works.
Mr. Mwanakampwe accused government of having a hand in the contractor saying if it was not so, the contract could have been terminated for failure to do a good job and in time.
“It appears government has failed to supervise this contractor that is why he is taking his time. The PF government should know that it will be held responsible for health problems the people will face out of this dust,’ he said.
Mr. Mwanakampwe further urged government to seriously address the youth unemployment in Kabwe especially that the PF was voted into power mostly by youths.
Mr. Mwanakampwe charged that instead of providing youths with employment, the PF government is abusing them.
He further accused government of failing to help youths who are working for industries in Kabwe such as those at Kabwe Industrial Fabrics (KIFCO) and Zambia Aluminium Lead Copper (ZALCO) to ensure that their conditions of service were improved.
‘ The workers at these and other companies in Kabwe are working under poor conditions as some have gone for months without salaries which is bad. It is sad that Mulungushi textiles cannot, up to now, open to offer employment to more youths still loitering the streets,” he said.
Mr. Mwanakampwe urged government not to go ahead with its proposal to increase the retirement age to 65 years saying this will disadvantage youths seeking employment.
He said government should instead bring down the retirement age to between
45 to 50 years so that retirees could still have the energy to do their own businesses.
