Mafinga cut-off from Isoka

Government has called on the Road Development Agency (RDA) to instruct the contractor working on the Isoka-Muyombe road to repair deplorable parts of the road so that farming inputs can smoothly be transported from Isoka and the newly created Mafinga district.

Muchinga Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Davy Chanda disclosed that tracks carrying inputs were unable to reach Mafinga district because the new road, which is being constructed, has been washed away in some areas before Thendere in Mafinga.

Mr. Chanda said the S-corner and some area near the bridge in Muyombe have completely been damaged by heavy rains, leaving the new district cut off from Isoka district.

He was speaking when an RDA team, led by the board deputy chairperson Phidelia Mwaba paid a courtesy on him in Chinsali district yesterday.

The RDA board is in Muchinga Province to inspect the progress on the construction of new roads under the link-Zambia 8,000 project.

And Ms. Mwaba has asked the RDA regional office to provide fuel for the contractor to ensure that the eroded parts of the road are worked on urgently.

The contractor has since been engaged by the agency to quickly attend to the problem.

Ms. Mwaba explained that the Isoka-Muyombe-Chama-Chadiza road was very important to the nation because it opens up the new district to the rest of the country.

She said the road will help foster economic activities in the areas as there will be easy transportation of goods.

And Bari Zambia limited resident engineer Abous Sattar assured the board that the impassable parts of the road will be worked soon to allow tracts reach Mafinga.

He disclosed that about 50 kilometres between Isoka and Muyombe has been tarred.

He said the whole stretch of 398 km will be upgraded to bituminous level by January 2016 as per contract time frame.

Government is spending about K331 million to upgrade Isoka-Muyombe – Chama – Chadiza road from gravel to bituminous standard.