Lilongwe-Salima water project among priorities in K 2.2tn Malawi budget
The Tonse Alliance government is geared to execute the much-awaited Lilongwe-Salima water supply project to tap water from Salima to Lilongwe which was awarded to South Africa-based engineering firm, Khato Civils.
Minister of Finance Felix Mlusu on Friday said when he presented the 2020/ 2021 National budget estimated at K2.2 trillion, that the Lilongwe-Salima water supply has been included in the fiscal year.
“Madam Speaker, under the Irrigation and Water Development, Government will implement a number of projects including the following: Southern Region and Blantyre Water Board Projects; Lilongwe Water and Sanitation Project; Salima-Lilongwe Water Project; Nkhatabay Town Water Supply Project; and Karonga Town Water Supply Project,” said Mlusu.
The Lilongwe –Salima water supply project, if done, is expected to provide water to the city of Lilongwe via a 120- kilometre pipeline from Lake Malawi.
Mlusu said the Tonse Alliance led government will speed up implementation of development projects by ensuring that “only projects with detailed designs are allocated resources in the budget.”
He said some projects may have designs but still require to undergo a review as those projects may have taken time to commence.
Khato Civils, owned by South African-based Malawian business mogul Simbi Phiri, was awarded the US $400 million Lilongwe-Salima water project but has cut the cost to about US $298 million citing a new innovation in delivering the project.
Simbi Phiri stated that the company had brought new equipment that could do the job in a shorter period, leading to the reduction of project cost. He did not reveal the details of the new equipment and the technology involved.
However according to the company’s profile, the firm has over the past few years made significant investment towards building a strong equipment backbone.
The Lilongwe-Salima Water Supply Project has in the past failed to roll out as it has been marred by controversies for years. The civil and legal issues surrounding the project implementation have since been resolved. Work on the project is set to commence soon.
Khato Civils and South Zambezi Engineering Services, another South African engineering firm, will build a water intake in Lake Malawi. The intake will pump up to 50,000 cubic meters of raw water per day, through a 50-centimeter diameter pipeline to a new treatment plant situated about 2 kilometers away.
Three reservoirs, each with a capacity of 5,000 cubic meters, will hold the water before it is distributed to the populations of Lilongwe and surrounding localities through a combined distance of 111-kilometer pipeline.
The government of Malawi, through the Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) will finance the project. Lilongwe Water Board has already pumped in about US $17 million into the project.
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I doubt that the cost reduction is due to equipment. It must be that; the previous government had their portion on top of the actual project cost.⭕r the change of government excited Mr simbi.
Khokhokho. You are spot on.
It’s DPP propaganda, Khato brought in the country all the machinery for the water project during the the failed DPP rule and just because the Tonse Alliance has gone in government the same failed DPP is trying to discourage the Alliance Government not engage Khato, that’s rubbish, Cadets can go to hell.
just go and look up his failed projects in SA. educate yourself
Mmmh. Ask Botswana. They will tell this company is efficient.
he has not even finished the Botswana project yet nanu
This project would have been advised in the papers and not picking up anyhow like this sad moment we have witness.
The distance from Salima -Lilongwe is about 120 km and looking at the reduction Khato has given the government one wonders as why all such discounts, is this not thieving. Malawi Congress Party must very careful with Simbi. It does not matter that Simbi and Chakwera are almost brothers but one should be very careful with it. Mcp is going to regret here.
The discount is because Khato will no more be encumbered with ridiculous add-ons by DPP What we see now is the true cost of the project. Mr 10%is no longer there.
On power challenges, we should just invest in solar power or use the solar farm already being constructed in Salima
This Khatho guy is going to fleece clean these Nyau guys. SIMBI is a certified crooks and before Mlusu wakes up he will have mortgaged our country. The project is expensive and no two ways about it. The Chinese would do the job and quarter what this thief is charging.
Don’t just praise the Chinese or foreigners for everything. Empower your own people if they can do a commendable job. Eliminate the slavish mentality dear.
I agree but the man has a record of failed projects. Its not just about being black
Of course he might have failed elsewhere for reasons we do not know. Why not give him a chance at his own home and support him so that he doesn’t fail? What would be wrong with that? Everyone has shortfalls but it’s when we hold each other’s hand that we succeed for the betterment of all.
That’s too much money to be chancing. we are a poor country at the end of the day
What steps are being taken to provide the huge amount of electrical power needed to run the project? Some estimates put it at ~60 MW, when the country generates only ~350 MW and alraedy experiences load shedding.
Mark my word: This project will haunt MCP and its alliances once out of power. This will be the Salima-Lilongwe Watergate scandal. Do you know that both Khato Civils and South Zambezi Engineering are owned by Simbi Phiri? The SIU in South Africa are investing these two companies on the Limpopo Water Project. This week the SIU announced that they have established that the R500million Limpopo Water Project ballooned to R3.5 billion through UNAUTHORISED expenditure. Therefore, the SIU as announced last Monday has started ceasing assets of all involved to recoup the money. Khato & South Zambezi were unknown companies… Read more »
@Civil Engineer, you are absolutely right.One of the requirements of a Tender process is to do background checks. Iam sure that if the Malawian fools who awarded this contract had done the background checks refereeing to the dams near Steelpoort and in Giyani, they could have not awarded this contract.
The project was awarded to Khato by The previous regime. If The propject will solve Lilongwes pepertual Water shortages Then I will be happy. But as You have rightly said due diligence Should be done. Otherwise politics Can erode The good will motive behind This project