Supplier for Likoma, Chizumulu power generators supplier condemns  ‘smear’ campaign

Clifford Kawinga, who is the chief executive officer  of Creck Hardware and General Supplies, a company which has been awarded a MK952 million Malawi Government contract to supply, install and commission power generators on Likoma and Chizumulu islands, has dismissed  a “smear campaign” against his company that  it was given the contract because he is an operative of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Kawinga told Nyasa Times that she is not a politician and said the “smear” is a campaign perpetrated by jealous competitors who want to soil his reputation.

A good number of bidders expressed interest in the project which is expected to end protracted power woes on Likoma and Chizumulu islands.

The Malawi Rural Electrification Program (MAREP), under which the project falls, preferred Creck Hardware and General Supplies on the list of bidders, eventually leading to these social media attacks against Kawinga.

But the Creck Hardware and General Supplies boss said  he won the contract fairly, having gone through all the required procedures.

“These are competitors who are just jealous of me as a successful young businessman. If they have issues, let them ask MAREP. My secret is that I work hard and deliver projects and supplies with efficiency and I meet required specifications. I don’t need politics to do business,” Kawinga told Nyasa Times.

Other bidders included Barloworld Limited with their tender bid displaying MK1 billion, PAC Fargo at MK1.7 billion, Golden Star Contractors at MK1.5 billion and Skywaves Private Limited at MK399.9 million.

There have been allegations on social media quoting anonymous sources within the Department of Energy and tender Evaluation Team, allege that Creck Hardware and General Suppliers was favoured more on political connections than capacity and that the company was the most expensive on the list of bidders.

The reports further allege that government budgeted MK400 million for the project, saying some members of the tender evaluation team were opposed to the selection of Creck Hardware and General Supplies but were silenced.

But Kawinga disputed this, saying a serious bidder would not execute a project of that magnitude with a meagre MK400 million.

“This is not true at all. It only shows that people who are propagating these lies do not understand contracts in relation to such a project.

“The amount one charges must include, among other things, inspection fees of eight officers, the expert who will fly in and do the rigging and installation of the machines, training and skill transfer and transportation of the machines to the two islands. All that is besides purchasing of the generators themselves,” he explained.

Kawinga added that Creck Hardware and General Supplies, is a professional company which has penetrated the market to change the way of doing things for the benefit of the greater common good.

“We want to demonstrate that we, Malawians, also have the capacity to do these things. It is high time we supported each other so that other people stop despising us. We must stop pulling each other down.

“Of course, we are not shaken by these lies against us. We won this project clean and fairly and we are moving forward as a company to ensure that we accomplish that project,” he said.

Besides other multi-million dollar projects Creck Hardware and General Supplies is contracted to implement by well-known local and international organisations, the company also supplies prepaid system and metres for Southern Region Water Board, Lilongwe Water Board, Blantyre Water Board and Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi.

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