REPUBLIC OF

SPEECH BY

HIS EXCELLENCY DR. EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA,

AT THE LAUNCH OF THE INTEGRATED SMALL TOWNS WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION PROJECT

HELD IN DISTRICT,

ON FRIDAY, 22ND JANUARY, 2021

STATE HOUSE

• MEMBERS OF THE PATRIOTIC FRONT CENTRAL COMMITTEE; • MINISTER OF WATER DEVELOPMENT, SANITATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, HON. RAPHAEL NAKACHINDA, MP; • MINISTER OF MUCHINGA PROVINCE, HON. MALOZO SICHONE, MP; • THE MINISTER OF WORKS AND SUPPLY, AND MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR MPIKA CONSTITUENCY, HON. SYLVIA CHALIKOSA; • THE PERMANENT SECRETARY FOR MUCHINGA PROVINCE, MS. JOYCE NSAMBA; • THEIR ROYAL HIGHNESSES, SENIOR CHIEF KOPA AND CHIEF CHIKWANDA, AND OTHER ROYAL HIGHNESSES PRESENT; • MEMBERS OF THE PROVINCIAL JOINT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE; • THE COUNTRY MANAGER OF THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (AFDB) GROUP; • THE DISTRICT COMMISSIONER FOR MR. SAMPA MUSWEMA; • THE MAYOR OF MPIKA DISTRICT, YOUR WORSHIP CHRISTOPHER MULENGA AND ALL MAYORS PRESENT; • THE COUNCIL SECRETARIES FOR MUCHINGA PROVINCE; • THE MANAGING DIRECTOR – CHAMBESHI WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION COMPANY - ENG. LUCKSON SIMUMBA; • SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS PRESENT; • PATRIOTIC FRONT (PF) OFFICIALS; • MEMBERS OF THE PRESS; 1 | P a g e

• DISTINGUISHED GUESTS; • LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

IT GIVES ME GREAT JOY TO BE HERE TO LAUNCH THE INTEGRATED SMALL TOWNS WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION PROJECT LOT 2 AIMED AT ALLEVIATING THE SUFFERING OF OUR PEOPLE HERE IN MPIKA AND ALSO IN .

YOU, THE RESIDENTS OF MUCHINGA PROVINCE, IN PARTICULAR, MPIKA AND NAKONDE DISTRICTS HAVE FOR A LONG TIME FACED INADEQUATE WATER SUPPLY. YOU HAVE CRIED TO SUCCESSIVE GOVERNMENTS FOR HELP WITHOUT SUCCESS. WELL, NOW YOUR PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED. THIS PROJECT WILL END THE PERRENNIAL WATER BLUES YOU HAVE SUFFERED FROM.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

WATER PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN OUR LIVES, AND IN THE COUNTRY’S SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WE HAVE ALL HEARD OF THE FAMOUS SAYING - ‘WATER IS LIFE’, THEREFORE, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT GOVERNMENT FACILITATES EASY ACCESS FOR OUR PEOPLE TO CLEAN AND SAFE WATER, AND ADEQUATE SANITATION SERVICES.

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LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

CLEAN WATER SUPPLY TO OUR PEOPLE AND GOOD SANITARY FACILITIES REMAIN TOP ON OUR DEVELOPMENT AGENDA AS THE PATRIOTIC FRONT GOVERNMENT BECAUSE WE ARE CONSCIOUS OF THE FACT THAT GOOD WATER SUPPLY IS ESSENTIAL TO ENDING POVERTY IN OUR COUNTRY.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

THROUGH THIS PROJECT, AND OTHER PROJECTS, MY GOVERNMENT REMAINS COMMITTED TO ENSURING OUR PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO CLEAN AND SAFE WATER AS WELL AS ACCESS TO ADEQUATE SANITATION. THIS IS WHAT MY GOVERNMENT HAS RECOMMENDED IN OUR COUNTRY’S SEVENTH NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN.

IN THIS REGARD, OUR TARGET IS THAT ALL CITIZENS MUST HAVE ACCESS TO CLEAN AND SAFE WATER SUPPLY BY THE YEAR 2030. AND ALSO OUR TARGET IS THAT 90 PERCENT OF OUR POPULATION MUST ACCESS SANITATION SERVICES BY THE YEAR 2030.

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LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE PROJECTS MY GOVERNMENT HAS EMBARKED ON IN ADDRESSING WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION CHALLENGES IN THE COUNTRY. THE COST OF THIS PROJECT IS US$ 17 MILLION AND IS JOINTLY FINANCED BY THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (AFDB) AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA.

MY GOVERNMENT IS ALSO IMPLEMENTING OTHER PROJECTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY MOST OF WHICH ARE ABOVE 80 PERCENT COMPLETE, AND THESE WILL BE COMMISSIONED THIS YEAR. THESE PROJECTS ARE MEANT TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF OUR PEOPLE WITHOUT LEAVING ANYONE BEHIND.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS PROJECT WILL INVOLVE CONSTRUCTION AND REHABILITATION OF WATER AND SANITATION INFRASTRUCTURE COMPRISING THE FOLLOWING:

1. CONSTRUCTION OF WATER INTAKES AT MALASHI; 2. CONSTRUCTION OF WATER TREATMENT PLANT AT MALASHI; 3. CONSTRUCTION OF WATER STORAGE TANKS IN CHITULIKA AND KAMWANYA; 4. CONSTRUCTION OF WATER DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS; 5. CONSTRUCTION OF SEWAGE PONDS AS WELL AS SEWER NETWORKS; AND 6. REHABILITATION OF THE EXISTING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.

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THESE INSTALLATIONS WILL RESULT IN MORE RESIDENTS ACCESSING CLEAN AND SAFE WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION SERVICES IN MPIKA DISTRICT.

ONCE THE PROJECT IS COMPLETED, IT WILL ENABLE CHAMBESHI WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION COMPANY TO INCREASE WATER SUPPLY HOURS FROM 11 HOURS TO 22 HOURS TO THE RESIDENTS OF MPIKA DISTRICT.

THE COMPANY IS ALSO EXPECTED TO INCREASE WATER SUPPLY COVERAGE TO THE RESIDENTS OF MPIKA DISTRICT FROM 45 PERCENT TO 95 PERCENT AND SANITATION SERVICES FROM 25 PERCENT TO 40 PERCENT, RESPECTIVELY.

FURTHERMORE, THE IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY OF WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION SERVICES MEANS OUR PEOPLE NOT SUFERING FROM OUTBREAKS SUCH AS CHOLERA, TYPHOID AND DYSENTERY.

LADIES AND GENTLEN,

THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO DIRECTLY EMPLOYEE ABOUT 650 CITIZENS WHO ARE SKILLED AND THOSE WHO ARE UNSKILLED.

MORE JOBS ARE GOING TO BE CREATED IN OTHER SECTORS THAT WILL BENEFIT FROM THE IMPROVED WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION SERVICES ONCE THE PROJECT IS COMPLETED.

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WITH THIS PROJECT, I AM CONVINCED THAT THERE WILL BE IMPROVED BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL CONTRACTORS AND OTHER ZAMBIAN CONTRACTORS AND SUPPLIERS OF GOODS AND SERVICES. LOCAL CONTRACTORS AND SUPPLIERS WLL BENEFIT FROM THE 20 PERCENT SUBCONTRACTING POLICY, TRANSLATING INTO US$ 3.72 MILLION FROM THE MAIN CONTRACT SUM OF US$ 17 MILLION.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

THE PROJECT WE ARE LAUNCHING TODAY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT FROM THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK.

IN THIS REGARD, LET ME TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK THE COUNTRY MANAGER OF THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK FOR THE GESTURE AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO MORE COOPERATION AND SUPPORT OF SIMILAR PROJECTS IN FUTURE.

I ALSO WISH TO THANK OTHER CO-OPERATING PARTNERS FOR SUPPORTING VARIOUS WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION PROJECTS IN THE COUNTRY.

AGAIN, I ALSO ENLIST THEIR SUPPORT FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF OTHER PROJECTS AS WE TOGETHER STRIVE TO ACHIEVE OUR TARGETS IN THE SEVENTH NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND OTHER PLANS.

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LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

IT IS NOT IN DISPUTE THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL AND ITS EFFECTS HAVE NOT SPARED CITIZENS. THE WATER SECTOR CONTINUES TO BE UNDER THREAT AS EVIDENCED BY THE POOR RAINFALL AND LOW WATER LEVELS IN OUR WATER BODIES. THIS HAS NEGATIVELY AFFECTED WATER SUPPLY TO OUR PEOPLE.

THIS IS WHY MY GOVERNMENT HAS EMBARKED ON AN AGGRESSIVE PROGRAMME TO ALLEVIATE CHALLENGES OF WATER SUPPLY THROUGH THE EXPANSION AND DEVELOPMENT OF WATER INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH AS CONSTRUCTION OF DAMS, DRILLING OF BOREHOLES AND CONSTRUCTION OF WATER SCHEMES.

MY GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE NECESSARY SUPPORT TO THE WATER SECTOR AS WE NOW FOCUS ON ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND ENSURE ALL OUR PEOPLE ACCESS BOTH WATER AND SANITATION. THIS IS NOT AN EASY UNDERTAKING, BUT WE BELIEVE THAT WITH SUPPORT FROM VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS AND COOPERATING PARTNERS, WE WILL ACHIEVE THIS TARGET.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT IS NOW MY SINGULAR HONOUR AND PRIVILEGE TO DECLARE THE INTEGRATED SMALL TOWNS WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION PROJECT IN MPIKA DISTRICT OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED. I THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS US ALL.

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