By SYLVESTER MWALE –
THE Government’s response to deplorable road networks in rural areas has been tremendous although some remote areas still suffer from isolation due to poor road infrastructure.
Luano Valley in Central Province is one of the areas that have remained isolated largely because of the poor road network which appears to have been neglected until recently.
Until 2012 when Luano was declared a district, there had been very little development to talk about. This is despite the enormous agricultural potential that the area boasts.
“We have a lot of farmers here only that we don’t have a reliable road network and it is very difficult to move,” says Alex Mwape, one of the residents in the area. Mr Mwape noted that enhancing road network in Luano would boost household economies among the residents as they would be able to transport their produce to the markets.
Apparently Luano only became prominent for wrong reasons in recent years when the infamous three Mailoni Brothers caused havoc, terrorising people until they themselves were hunted down in 2013.
Travelling from Mkushi to Mboroma chiefdom which is sprawled in the valley could have many challenges but nothing more than the poor road network.
Apart from Mkushi-Masansa, a stretch of about 53 kilometres which has received regular maintenance, there is a deplorable Masansa-Fiwila which has remained a source of concern for a long time.
Beyond Fiwila, the Government has in recent years maintained the 115-kilometre Fiwila-Mboroma gravel stretch which meanders through the hills and wilderness of the Muchinga Escarpment.
But it is beyond Senior Chief Mboroma’s palace to Ching’ombe and eventually Rufunsa on the Great East Road where the road has been reduced to a bush path due to neglect for over 50 years.
It is against this background that the Government last year deployed the Zambia National Service (ZNS) to open up the road in a bid to boost economic activities in the area.
“The completion of this road will certainly end the challenges that the people in Luano are facing,” said Luano District Commissioner Christopher Chibuye. For a long time, this area has suffered neglect but the current Government has realised that road networks are important in rural areas.” Mr Chibuye said the Government would continue to take development to rural areas and assured the people of Luano that the ongoing construction would soon be completed.
Central Province Permanent Secretary Daisy Ng’ambi toured the area in an effort to appreciate the efforts by ZNS to link Luano with the Great East Road.
The ZNS, which now hosts the Rural Road Unit (RRU), is currently on the ground and has already done the road formation on part of the Mboroma-Mboshe. The road formation by the ZNS has been done on 18 out of 53km which would eventually link Luano to Lusaka Province via Great East Road.
According to ZNS engineers who are camping on the site, the works which started last November have delayed due to heavy rains but expressed confident to open up the stretch.
Senior Chief Mboroma of the Lala people said the continued rehabilitation of the Fiwila-Mboroma road had brought joy among his subjects who had dreamed for a long time to have good road network.
“Thanks to God for giving us Edgar Lungu because he has followed what Michael Sata started and even the blind are seeing the roads that are being built for the first time in my area,” said Chief Mboroma when Central Province Permanent Secretary Daisy Ng’ambi recently paid a courtesy call on him at his palace.
“I’m not campaigning because we (chiefs) are not partisan; but my allegiance is with the government of the day, and it’s unwise for one to ask if we will eat roads.
He noted that his chiefdom had suffered neglect for a long time until 2011 when the Patriotic Front (PF) came to power and embarked on massive road construction programme.
Chief Mboroma who invited President Lungu to visit the area said his subjects were also grateful because they have received relief maize to avert hunger in the area.
He also appealed to the government to complete the construction of the one-by-three classroom block which started in 2013 at Ching’ombe Primary School as well as drill at least two boreholes in the area.
His subjects are as excited the traditional leader and are hoping that the completion of the 53km Mboroma-Ching’ombe stretch would ease the movement of goods and service as well as boost investment in the area.
“This is a very important road but I am not sure why it has been left to deteriorate to this level,” said John Chellah, a resident in Chief Mboroma.
“It is the shortcut to Eastern Province because even people that are coming from Copperbelt going to Eastern Province can use this route without passing through Lusaka.”
Mr Chellah noted that the continued rehabilitation of the Fiwila-Mboroma stretch had eased the movement from Mkushi to Mboroma.
“I remember very well when we used to take four days walking from herem to Mkushi because there was no road but now we have a road where people can ride and reach Mkushi within a day,” he said.
Central Province Minister Davies Chisopa who is also Mkushi South MP said the Government had realised that a good road network is crucial to development of rural areas.
“The transfer of the rural road unit to ZNS has enhanced its operations and the construction of this road to link with Rufunsa will be historical for the people in this area,” he said.
“The President is cognisant with the fact that a good road network will open up Zambia to development and that is why the government embarked on road rehabilitation across the country.”
Ms Ng’ambi said she was satisfied with the works being done at the site despite the delay that had been caused by the rains.
“The Government is in a hurry and I think the works will resume as soon as the rains stop,” said Ms Ng’ambi as she inspected 18 kilometres that have been formatted by ZNS.
The vastness of the area offers the area an opportunity to grow various crops but lack of roads has at many times limited the movement of farm produce.
It is hoped that the road being constructed would not only boost economic activities in the region, but also act as a shortcut into Eastern Province from Copperbelt and Central provinces.