The Road Development Agency (RDA) today held an engagement with officials from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) and Mazabuka Municipal Council (MMC).
The engagement was centered around the status of roads in Mazabuka District and other road projects and programmes for Local Authorities.
RDA Acting Director and Chief Executive Officer, Eng. Grace Mutembo said there was need to adequately plan for the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of roads in Mazabuka District and beyond.
Eng. Mutembo said the Agency had made a saving on the contract for the rehabilitation of the Turnpike to Mazabuka Road and that the funds had been channeled towards the construction of a bypass road to the Mazabuka Central Business District (CBD) and an access road to Mazabuka Girls Secondary School.
During the meeting, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Garry Nkombo, who is also Mazabuka Central Constituency Member of Parliament was represented by the MLGRD Principal Engineer, Richard Kangwa. Others who attended the meeting are the Technical Advisor at MLGRD, Eng. Stephen Malubila, MMC Town Clerk, Mrs. Judith Maambo and MMC Director of Engineering, Eng. Benjamin Banda.
Eng. Kangwa said there were calls to do more Township roads when undertaking works on Trunk roads.
Mrs. Maambo described the state of Township roads in Mazabuka District as a ‘thorny issue.’
She said the entire District had gravel roads apart from the 4.4 kilometres under construction from the saving made under the rehabilitation of the Turnpike to Mazabuka Road.
Mrs. Maambo said the Local Authority has procured a variety of road construction equipment using the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and what it now needed was a boost in terms of materials (gravel and fuel) to kick-start the works.
In response, Eng. Mutembo said the RDA had taken note of the concerns raised during the meeting regarding the poor state of roads in Mazabuka District.
She said since the budgeting process for the 2024 national budget was underway, the Agency would make proposals aimed at improving the condition of some Township roads in Mazabuka.