The engineering firm that constructed the Nsanje dyke says the dyke which was declared substandard will not be reconstructed.
According to Engineer Robert Mwina of Mitondo Civil Engineering Company, the dyke was built in accordance with project terms of reference and it will be not be redone.
Last week Vice President Saulos Chilima inspected the dyke in Nsanje where he expressed dissatisfaction with the substandard structure.
Chilima added that relevant authorities should discuss so that the dyke, said to have cost K298 million, should be reworked.
“This is a death trap to people because if the dyke is washed away, then it will negatively affect the communities,” he said.
But Mwina told the local media that Chilima visited a dyke that is still under construction hence his anger was justified.
“I think the VP was not informed properly. He was given the impression that the dyke is complete and seeing unfinished product on the ground, his reaction was justifiable,” said Mwina.
He added that K117 million and not K298 million was allocated to the actual construction of the dyke which is 1068 meters long.
World Bank funded the construction of the dyke under Shire River Basin Management Program but Malawi Government was responsible for implementation.
Why did you invite Chilima? Buy malawi strategy cant work in construction sector. construction sector is taken as a loophole to plunder our resources we have seen a lot of substand work costing alot of millions on paper and nothing on the ground, We cant develop our country like that…We have to emurate from Kamuzu banda, had it been he was corrupted and reeckless we wouldnt have been enjoying his contribution right now, talk of M1 Road, Universities, Capital hill, presidential palace just to mention a few.
I think the VP was not briefed accurately prior to the visit. Whoever briefed was the rumour monger, perhaps disgruntled s/he was not paid by the contractor. Of course, the dyke is there to protect communities from floods and indeed it gets washed away at a critical flood time the worst is subject to happen. But then that’s the risk which is well calculated in a well-engineered project like that one. We do not what is substandard mean in the project, but then as we all know is from one marketing manager somewhere. The same was said about Mulunguzi dam in Zomba and so too Liwonde Barrage way back in 70’s during Kamuzu time.