By Chinoyi Chipulu
Kantashi member of parliament Anthony Mumba is disappointed with poor workmanship being exhibited by Mulonga Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) on its water reticulation project in the district.
And Mumba says if an audit is conducted, it will reveal that the utility company’s water project was not handled well.
In an interview yesterday, Mumba said six years ago, the company got a loan from the European Bank of approximately 300 million Euros meant to improve water and sanitation in Mufulira, Chingola and Chililabombwe but residents had not had any benefit as residents.
Mumba said the company claimed their services would improve in December because by then they would complete their projects but it was doubtful because the company had not handled the projects well.
“I am very upset with Mulonga. I’m very disappointed with the workmanship, we have these Central Business District roads that were done at a very high cost which they are breaking to put pipes and when they break them, they don’t even replace them. They become a source of a pothole and eventually destroy the road,” he said.
“They claim water available will improve by December because they would have completed the project but I’m very very doubtful because I think the whole project was not handled well and I think if a forensic audit is done, a lot of revelations will come out of it because you can’t just have that sort of workmanship,” he said.
Mumba wondered why the utility company painted its pump house instead of rehabilitating it.
“A pump house in a contract instead of totally rehabilitating it only to paint it. How you only paint a pump house which has not been functioning and replace windows that were stolen or broken. There is a lot that needs to be done, I’m not happy with the rate at which the implementation project is going and remember that money is tax payers money because the loan was guaranteed by the Ministry of Finance, therefore repayment will come from the taxes paid by Zambian citizens,” he said.
And Mumba said he was disappointed with dirty erratic water supply by the utility company in the district.
“If the project is totally implemented meaning we are going to have new meters which are going to be accurate. Today in Mufulira, we have water bills when you never receive a drop of water, I don’t know why one would waste stationary like that. The whole thing just doesn’t add up at all. And Mulonga water has really failed us in terms of providing clean water,” he said.
“Imagine a company of that nature does not have a water bowser and fails to provide water for customers.”
Efforts to get a comment from MWSC communications manager Bright Mtonga proved futile as his phone went unanswered.
