The Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA) has given fresh approval to Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Wildlife to build a K1.4 billion mausoleum for Orton Chirwa, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) founder and political activist.
The approval comes months after the PPDA withdrew its initial ‘No Objection’ for the project.
In March this year, Government through the Ministry of Tourism and Culture published a notice to award a contract for the mausoleum to a joint venture of Hema Construction and Central Construction Group.
The Ministry said PPDA had approved the tender results.
Malawians on social media criticized government over its plans to spend such an amount of money on the mausoleum.
On 10 March, PPDA withdrew its ‘No Objection’ for the tender claiming that the notice was issued after a ‘No Objection’ by the director general who only approves submissions with a maximum value of K1 billion in procurement for works.
PPDA spokesperson Grace Thipa said: “All submissions above the K1 billion threshold of the director general are subject to further review and approval by the board. In this case, a letter of No Objection was inadvertently issued before the board approved the procurement.”
And in a letter dated 9 May, 2022 and signed by PPDA director general Eddington Chilapondwa, the PPDA has informed the Ministry of Tourism that the tender results have now been approved.
This means that the ministry will now enter into a contract with the joint venture of Hema Construction and Central Construction Group for the construction of the Mausoleum in Nkhata-Bay.
Orton Chirwa, who also served as former Attorney General of Malawi, died in prison in Zomba on 20 October 1992 at the age of 73.
He was imprisoned for nearly 11 years for non-violent opposition to the single-party government of Life President Banda.
On 3rd March this year, President Lazarus Chakwera told people in Nkhata-Bay that his administration will construct the mausoleum and Orton Chirwa Airport as a way of honoring Chirwa.
