.Simbao

By CHARITY MOONGA –

PARLIAMENT on Wednesday evening heard that records on the contract to lease out Luburma Market in Lusaka’s Kamwala area to an investor for 65 years have gone missing.
Winding up debate on the report of the Committee on Communications, Transport, Works and Supply, chairperson of the committee and Senga Hill MMD Member of Parliament Kapembwa Simbao said all records in the Luburma market deal were lost.
He said the committee followed up with records concerning the contract between the Chinese investor and the Lusaka City Council who signed the contract with the investor to see exactly what transpired but there were no documents to that effect.
The committee recommended that the Luburma market deal should be renegotiated so that the Zambians could benefit from it.
It was not clear who was behind the negotiation of the Luburma market concession 15 years after the project was done.
Mr Simbao said there was need for the Government to revisit the public private partnerships so that the Government and the Zambian people do not lose out.
He urged Government to take up the matter and establish where the documents in the PPP involving Luburma market were to enable it look at terms and conditions contained in the contract and assist map the way forward.
The 65-year lease of Luburma market has come under attack by many stakeholders who have said it was unacceptable.
Chongwe PF Member of Parliament, Sylvia Masebo told the House that the revelations by the committee on the 65-year Luburma concession for a structure that would not even last that long were shocking.
She called on Government to be cautious when entering PPPs to avoid raw deals.