Malawi govt questioned for favouring Mota-Engil to ‘level of monopoly’ in road construction

Some social commentators are groping for justification behind Malawi government’s glaring favouring of a Portuguese multinational engineering firm, Mota-Engil, when it is awarding contracts in the road construction projects.

Wadi: Malawi government  promoting Mota-Engil to the level of a monopoly and has in the process killed competition and fair bidding

Stanley Onjezani Kenani observes that Mota-Engil is currently enjoying a combined value of K142 billion in road contracts in Malawi.

The second most-favoured company, Zhajoung of China, is engaged in government road projects worth just K15 billion.

Kenani, writing on his Facebook wall, alleges that Zhajoung of China is another company, which is receiving enormous contracts from the authorities at the Capital Hill, Lilongwe.

“All those engineers the Polytechnic has produced since 1965, don’t they have companies that can construct roads? Then we need to question the relevance of our education? For how long shall we be importing these engineering companies, amangwetu?” he asks.

In his comment, the private practice lawyer Ishmael Wadi faults the Malawi government for allegedly promoting Mota-Engil to the level of a monopoly and has in the process killed competition and fair bidding.

Wadi – who served briefly as Director of Public Prosecution under the late Bingu wa Mutharika administration – adds that other companies like Shire Construction Limited, which he argues are equally competent and capable, have been put on the sidelines because they refused to bribe powers-that-be in government.

“Equally, Terrastone, Master Construction have been marginalized. Here I haven’t spoken of Malawi owned companies like Deco (Dini Lungu), Maluza and many others. How do you expect Malawians to excel when they are not being awarded tenders?” he asks.

Another commentator, Jones Mawerenga, doubts if the sidelining of indigenous engineering companies has anything to do with capacity.

Mawerenga thus condemns the Malawi Government for failing to empowering indigenous contractors like South Africa is doing.

“Let us borrow a leaf [from South Africa],” he urges.

Efforts to talk Mota-Engil and the alleged sidelined indigenous contractors proved futile.

Meanwhile, Nyasa Times is making efforts to talk to them in due course to find out how this has affected their business.

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Wachiyao
3 years ago

Do you know that the DPP is the only political party that is allowed to use the ship MV Chilembwe, the newest and most modern ship on Lake Malawi? Other parties are not allowed even if they are ready to pay for it. The ship belongs to Malawi Shipping Company, a subsidiary of Mota-engil Malawi.

Merid
Merid
3 years ago

Piease, Malawians focus on Covid19
Not in politics and campaigns save lives
Before to late.
Merid from Ethiopia

JCInLAND
JCInLAND
3 years ago

Well, well. Its about time.
Did you know, under the DPP that Mota-Engil had once or twice paid for the salaries of the government? This is a big deal, because, if any individual paid for such, can you imagine how much power you have over the people of the entire country?
Let it be known that there real Mafia in Malawi. Lets pray that the change we have been waiting for shows up in the next month, otherwise Malawi is going to disappear very soon.
May the higher powers bless and help our beautiful nation.

Drake
Drake
3 years ago

Mota Engil is messing up the Chileka Road, look at roads servicing locations like Nyambadwe, Ndirande, Chirimba hsve been completely destroyed. I feel very angry the way they destroyed the Recently constructed Chirimba Market Rd connecting to Magalsi Chileka road. Also the Maselema Kachere dual highway. The type of road they constructed, but it was during Joyce Bandas reign and some of the wotks were subcontracted to her and her son, so there was no one who could query them as they had the backing of the head of state.

Chilima
Chilima
3 years ago
Reply to  Drake

The fact is, No any other contractor want to get the jobs because Mw government is broke and wants things done on PPP where payments will be done upon invoicing.

Chriss
Chriss
3 years ago

Mota – Engil is also compromising quality at the expense of dishing out millions to DPP and President himself

Bwana Wa Ulesi
Bwana Wa Ulesi
3 years ago

Miseu amagumula ndi a MCP

Fake Petros
3 years ago
Reply to  Bwana Wa Ulesi

@Bwana
So true, they are like lunatics & embiciles who gets everything from their leadership including kugumula mseu

Horsepower
Horsepower
3 years ago

Muluz i tried awarding contracts to Malawians and our roads became an absolute disaster. Maybe what should be done is to agree with Mota that they should subcontract at least 50% of their contracts to Malawians however, they remain in charge of quality control

MDulamizu
MDulamizu
3 years ago
Reply to  Horsepower

It’s because officials at Roads Authority and politicians demanded a big kick back hence compromised works

Joni
Joni
3 years ago
Reply to  Horsepower

Go and see Rumphi to Chitipa through Nyika and feel the quality there but it is done by MOTA ENGIL…They are overwhelmed…THEY HAVE TOO MUCH ON THEIR PLATE!!!!

Joni
Joni
3 years ago
Reply to  Joni

….RUMPHI TO CHITIPA VIA NYIKA ROAD..

good
good
3 years ago
Reply to  Joni

Hence subcontracting.

Gee
Gee
3 years ago
Reply to  Horsepower

Apa pokha ndichitira umboni, amalawi apatsidwapo ma contract a size yawo koma amatenga dzaka kansewu kakafupi ndipo samanga mwaluso, apa pokha tisanamizanepo, ndinaziona ine

Mpakaten
3 years ago

The road from Maselema to Chiradzulu turn -off as you go to Zomba has been under construction for 5 years now, but this section is not over and yet the road is already damaged. Just a km away from Maselema driving towards Limbe Cathedral, the road has more than 10 potholes such that driving is not enjoyable. One wonders what kind of workmanship and capacity Mota Engil has.If Kamazuz wa there he would have terminated their contract and let them go. What is happening is completely bullshit.

Kadya nkena
Kadya nkena
3 years ago
Reply to  Mpakaten

Koma amalawi umbuli mmatenda zedi . Do you know the relationship between infrastructure development and the economy of a country? Kkkkkkkkk tamapangani comment zinazo koma naa izi zokha izi mmmm ayi!

Aabwino
Aabwino
3 years ago

All the Tippers on Mota Engil projects belong to DPP top officials. These are the DPP people whose tippers are on Mota Engil projects: George Chaponda, Jappie, Mussa

braveheart
3 years ago

Is Mota Engil just being given the contracts without work being done?

Joni
Joni
3 years ago
Reply to  braveheart

YES, PROVED….We have a long list of badly done/low quality and incompleted roads all over the country!!

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