UPDATE ON SOCIETY BUSINESS PARK OFFICE BLOCK COLUMN FAILURE

PRESS STATEMENT – UPDATE ON SOCIETY BUSINESS PARK OFFICE BLOCK COLUMN FAILURE

(LUSAKA, 09 JANUARY 2020). THE NATIONAL PENSION SCHEME AUTHORITY WISHES TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE SOCIETY BUSINESS PARK OFFICE BLOCK COLUMN FAILURE FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF THE ASSESSMENT BY AN INDEPENDENT ENGINEER.

SUBSEQUENT TO THE REPORTED FAILURE OF ONE OF THE CONCRETE COLUMNS THAT SUPPORT THE SOCIETY BUSINESS PARK OFFICE BLOCK IN OCTOBER 2019, THE NATIONAL PENSION SCHEME AUTHORITY ENGAGED AN INDEPENDENT ENGINEER TO CARRY OUT AN ASSESSMENT AND TESTING OF ALL THE STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS THAT SUPPORT THE OFFICE BLOCK. THE ENGINEER HAS SINCE COMPLETED THE ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDED STRENGTHENING OF THE AFFECTED COLUMNS.

ARISING FROM THE ABOVE RECOMMENDATION, THE DESIGN ENGINEERS HAVE COMMENCED SOURCING FOR AN APPROPRIATE CONCRETE STRENGTHENING SOLUTION. THE STRENGTHENING OF THE AFFECTED COLUMNS WILL COMMENCE SOON AND IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS. THEREFORE, THE OFFICE BLOCK WILL REMAIN CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC.

THE REMEDIAL WORKS WILL BE SUPERVISED BY THE INDEPENDENT ENGINEER AND WILL BE OVERSEEN BY RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS INCLUDING THE  NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR CONSTRUCTION (NCC) AND THE LUSAKA CITY COUNCIL (LCC).

ACCORDINGLY, THE AUTHORITY WISHES TO INFORM THE TENANTS AT THE SOCIETY BUSINESS PARK AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE REST OF THE BUSINESS PARK, THAT IS THE HOTEL, THE SHOPPING MALL AND THE PARKADE WHICH WERE NOT AFFECTED BY THE OFFICE BLOCK COLUMN FAILURE WILL REMAIN OPEN FOR NORMAL BUSINESS.

YOLLARD KACHINDA

DIRECTOR GENERAL