Karonga District Commissioner Willard Mwambo has ordered the suspension of construction works on staff houses at Iponga Community Day Secondary School over concerns about poor workmanship and failure to meet building standards.
Mwambo issued the directive after discovering several construction faults during an inspection of projects being implemented under the Reformed Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
Among the problems identified were failure to install a damp proof membrane (DPM) across the entire slab and poorly positioned mesh wire reinforcement, which had wide gaps and inadequate overlaps. He said the defects could compromise the strength of the buildings and reduce their lifespan.
The commissioner also questioned the absence of a concrete mixer at the construction site, describing the hand-mixing of concrete for a slab of that size as unacceptable.
He consequently ordered Horizon Construction Company, which is handling the project, to suspend all works until the DPM and mesh reinforcement are properly installed and a functional concrete mixer is brought to the site. Mwambo warned that the project would not be accepted if the contractor failed to address the concerns.
Meanwhile, Mwambo inspected other CDF-funded projects, including the rehabilitation of Songwe-Ngana Road, construction of Kakolya and Mwakamogho bridges, and the Kilupula Area Development Committee office.
He also visited Kapolo Operation Theatre and rehabilitation works at Karonga District Hospital, where he expressed satisfaction with the progress made so far.
