• PRESIDENT Lungu (third from left) inspects the new housing units for personnel under the security wings that were commissioned in Lusaka’s Chelstone area yesterday.
Picture by EDDIE MWANALEZA/STATE HOUSE

By JAMES KUNDA and SYLVIA MWEETWA –

PRESIDENT Lungu has assured security wings that Government will address the housing deficit affecting its personnel.
Mr Lungu said the Government would not be deterred by the scale and cost of infrastructure development because the aim of the Patriotic Front (PF) administration was largely to direct investment towards infrastructure development.
“My Government is, therefore, equal to the task and determined to mitigate our country’s infrastructure deficit in general and the housing shortage in particular affecting our officers in the defence and security institutions,” the Head of State said.
He said this in Lusaka yesterday when he commissioned 48 newly-built houses for police officers.
The houses, located at Chelstone Police Camp, were constructed by Avic International of China and are part of 2,350 housing units being put up countrywide for employees in the security wings at a cost of US$320 million.
This is under phase one of the programme intended to address the housing deficit in the ministry of Home Affairs, which stood at 12,000 by the end of 2010.
The President said infrastructure development, and decent housing in particular, made an enormous contribution towards increased productivity by security personnel.
He said the PF was better-placed to address the social and economic challenges confronting the nation and measures in this regard were clearly defined in the party’s manifesto of 2011.
“For our country to grow and become a middle-income country by 2030, investments in essential infrastructure are critical to help reduce the cost of production, and connect centres of economic activity and consumption both within and outside our country.
“My Government, therefore, remains resolved to continue improving our country’s infrastructure as it is also critical to economic expansion and diversification,” he said.
Mr Lungu, who expressed gratitude to Avic for completing the work within the scheduled four months, urged the occupants of the houses to take good care of them.
He also implored security officers to remain non-partisan as the country votes on August 11.
At the same occasion, Home Affairs Minister Davies Mwila announced that in the first week of April, ground would be broken in Kabwe and Kitwe to signal the building of similar structures for officers in the Central and Copperbelt provinces.
Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja thanked the Government for the gesture and assured President Lungu that the move would spur improvement in the work output of officers.
Meanwhile, President Lungu said the Ndola-Mufulira Road required an immediate overhaul as it was a critical link to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Mr Lungu, who yesterday travelled by road from Mufulira to Ndola and had a feel of the bumpy road, expressed commitment to improving the road.
He said funds for the road works would be sourced as a matter of urgency.
“I am not happy with the state of this road, but I want to ask Zambians to bear with us. Most importantly, this road which is of economic value needs a complete overhaul. This road is of great economic benefit to Zambia and the DRC,” he said.
He said a contractor had already been shortlisted to carry out the road works, which would commence soon.
The President also appealed to Zambians not to allow politicians to influence them to engage in unnecessary confrontations ahead of the elections.
Mr Lungu, who was accompanied by Copperbelt Minister Mwenya Musenge, also took time to visit Copperbelt PF information and publicity secretary, Kennedy Chishimba, who is admitted to Kamuchanga Hospital.
He was happy that Mr Chishimba was recovering and wished him well.