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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