Minister Jappie to take Sawa contractors to task over bridge shoddy workmanship
Minister of Transport and Public Works, Jappie Mhango, has said is dissappointed with compromised quality over the Mchesi Bridge in the capital Lilongwe that got washed away by heavy rains two days ago.
Mhango, who toured the place on Friday, said the new bridge is very far from reaching its life span.
According to Mhango, government will have to question the contractor on why it came up with shoddy work.
“We can’t afford to compromise quality. We will have to take the contractor to task for poor workmanship. This is taxpayers’ money, and it has to be seriously accounted for,” said Mhango.
Nyasa Times understands that Sawa Group—one of the companies that have received numerous construction projects—was contracted to do the job.
Mhango said his ministry will go around the country to check construction projects that are not up to it.
“Where some of these projects are failing we will have to revise for purposes of re-awarding other contracts in the future,” he said.
A heavy downpour that lasted three hours wrecked havoc in some parts of Lilongwe such as Biwi, Kawale, Area 36, Kaliyeka and Chipasula.
An assessment by the department of disasters and preparedness indicates that at least two people are missing and that 176 households have been affected.
Minister of Homeland Security, Nicholas Dausi, visited the areas and pledged speedy support from government.
Sawa Group, a company which has connections to the corridors of power, constructed the multi-million bridge which only lasted a few months and got washed away during the flooding.
“The works were shoddy. When we hire a contractor, we expect high standards, we expect high quality work within the specified period and budget,” said Mhango.
He said this was not the case with the Kawale-Mchesi bridge, saying the contractor will have to work on it again.
“The advantage is that we are in a period when the contractor is responsible for what happens to the bridge,” said Mhango.
Some Malawians on social media are blaming the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for shoddy construction works on most projects as the party wants to deliver its campaign promises of 2014 before the May 21 highly contentious tripartite elections which are due in just three months’ time.
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Let us analyze events that led to this washaway. The conclusion that it is due to poor workmanship is jumping the gun… check human settlement patterns and water course behaviour and or previous flood history at the culvert site… just to mention but a few
Mr minister Mhango, all projects whether small or big should be inspected at every stage during construction. Are there no clarks of works ( construction works inspectors ) in your ministry who are supposed to do inspection of construction projects for the government side? You say you have an advantage because the bridge is still not handed over. Suppose it was already handed over ? Tax payers money would have been lost. The country has already lost billions on other projects where shoddy work was done.
Jappie why this is happening under your jurisdiction?
l do remember you when you was a contractor you was a good one. And Under Mr Sulumba in ministry of works had strong projects.. real concrete… give the projects to Malawians they love their country please !!!!
This is shame to the country.
The bridge constructed by the MCP government never experienced this. Today contractors achimwenye akudyetsa dpp and end result zinthu zosalimba. Ndani mmwenye adakalimba mtima kumpatsa Kamuzu Banda K145 million? Lero Alamu Pumani Mwakalamba akudyetsedwa ndi amwenye a Fargo, Master Construction, Sawa etc. Garbage in Garbage out. Garbage government. Garbage president. Look at the patches on Chilambula road near area 15. Master Construction did a poor job on the area 18 to area 49 road before Mota Engil came in.
Infact it took the contractor the whole month to demolish it
Zisankho tsopano. Wanting to score points.
How pathetic it is that our so called Leaders always wait four years to act.
We have had MP’s since the Kamuzu era but still having dangerous bridges and no descent roads. The majority of those fighting for positions are not doing so to serve but short cut to getting rich.
If indeed e had MP with the welfare of people at heart , Malawi will have been well developed.
Just a basic needs like water. MP s without shame are still selling the message of Boreholes as opposed to clean Tap water.
The MPs have tap water and those they pretend to serve are dying coz of drinking dirty water.
MPs kids go to private school and the voters kids learn under trees.
Mps goes to India Egypt SA for treatment while voters die in their villages as they cannot afford even Ngolo to take them to the far hospital.
Shame on Malawi Politicians.
Muona kuti mutani si ndalama mukumagawana nokha
I thought such projects goverment do also have their people on the ground to check on quality and compliance to standards. What were these people doing. Waste of public funds, loss of trust by the malawian citizenry
Bridge lomangila mawaya mawaya lero?
Kodi mukapereka contract sipakhala quality checker? Kondi ma contractor simuwapasa ms specification?
Ndi izitu contractor wadya zaulere.
Jappi usatipusise of late sawa has come to be a house hold name in every government project, sawa came in as a water boring company from nowhere they have taken over all civil works in v country and v reason why is known by u Japison,so dont fool us we kno we can c
Mwamanya pauli ajapi kuti ndi shaddy work. Do not intimidate the contractor. Take to task the designer, consultant, inpesoectors of the project. Govt thru consultant has a representative on every site of the project. What was his/his job. If he approved it then the contactor has nothing to loose. Vuto mukumasusamo kwambiri and expect the contactor a good job. Mwabira pa chande msana ukuoneka. Look at the quality of ur roads. Wima ndi uwu waku ne neno womwe ukusungunuka ngati mnamangira sugar. No patriotism for u guys, you do constructions for votes. Trying kuphimba athu mmaso. Mwawonekera ng’amba ndipo simunati. Mseu wa kwinu mpaka pano, tala mwayika ma km angati. Its just a campaign road.
Ntchito za Manja awo zikuwachitila Umboni a DPP.
Shoddy works is what u know best.
Refrain from demanding a share then u will see quality work.
Start with mota
In the name of development projects. Surprisingly, one contractor has numerous contracts to do such shoddy work.
Vuto mmayamba kuka sololako payment yoyamba and u demand zambiri nkana anthuwa akumanga zosalimba. Akaku yankhani muyaluka zomwe mwatengako nzambiri a japi!
This is just hot air. The ministry can do nothing. This bridge was constructed under a contract with the National Roads Authority. The Ministry is not party to the contract. If NRA issued a certificate of completion they will lose the case. It’s NRA which has incompetent engineers who can’t properly design and supervise a project
A Jappie a Jappie nthawi yonseyi munali kuti? Mmesa mumakhala ku Lilongwe inu? Osamakhala ndi chidwi zinthu zofunikira ngati zimenezi zikamachitika bwaa?
Kkkkkk tikamanena mmati anthu akunama why taking him to task when the money was shared we nee to question the road department. Who was supervising the construction
Jappie who are u fooling??? How can u discipline Sawa Group when they share the contract sums with dpp.Wasnt it the reason y u were appointed dpp TG so u can easily share the spoils from the compromised civil works?
As usual Nyasa times Mis guiding the public
The Kawale Mchesi bridge was not constructed by Sawa group but by another contractor
And what about the engineers who were inspecting the work sir? I strongly believe this will take effect on their jobs too (So long as you are serious) . And before I forget Sir, you can as well consider nullifying their qualifications Sir, they have to go back to school before we loose lives Sir. But if you see kuti aulula kuti mwadya nawo za bridgezo do none of the above Sir. I love you from the center of my heart Sir.
Bridge limenelo? Kumangila dothi? Hehehe! Of course the contractor has connections to DPP. We’re not surprised!
Mr mhango we have heard that too many times. Please please just close your mouth. You are an embarrassment to yourself,family , constituents, tribe region and the whole Malawi nation
So you mean the whole government doesn’t have apparatuses and people to check the quality of infrastructures during construction? Seriously, you wait for the rains to tell you how strong a bridge is? Kulongolola konsekuja ndinkaona ngati a Jappi ndianzerutu
Nonsense from jappie. Who was monitoring the work? Was the contractor building in secret? The contractor was doing exactly what you told him to do. Paja they sponsor Beam??
You really wanted the rains to prove you that your contractors are doing shit 💩 jobs. By the time you get to may all your fake bridges will be streams. Nothing to prove
Kkkkkkk nafwa ine mwadziwa liti kunena moona dpp projects onse ndiosalimba ndiye mupanga bwanji
A Japy asanamuzile contractor anadyam9 ndalama kale mu project iyi engineer wanji angavomeleze nyatsi a kumanga pa Mchesi Kawale bridge
Bridge not washed off
I just used 2 hours ago and it is open to all traffic
What’s wrong with us we are quick to blame others wildly without understanding issues
Those flash flood which passed were very serious everyone is bleaming everyone and not Mother Nature
Uuuum mbava unu muvmfuna kupaka phula ndaniyo? Munadyera pomwepo
Akufuna atiphimbe m’maso samapanga supervise nde kuti.
Ndalama amangopereka ngati za tomato