Minister lays foundation stone for two bridge projects in Thyolo, asks communities to supervise
Minister of Transport and Public Works, Jappie Mhango, on Sunday emphasized on the need for communities to monitor and supervise development projects in their areas for quality and durable infrastructures.
The minister made the remarks in Thyolo during a ground breaking ceremony for two bridge projects at Nsuwazi and Livunzu rivers in traditional authorities Khwetemule and Mphuka respectively.
The minister said the first line of security for project materials should be provided by the community members themselves as the police cannot be at the project site all the time.
“Community Development Committee members can divide themselves where they will make sure that one or two people are at the site full time for monitoring and supervision of work as well as providing security,” he said.
Mhango said most of the times communities do not supervise projects which in turn provide loop way for some corrupt contractors to do substandard work and at times sell project materials like cement.
“We’ve warned the contractors already. If they are involved in any cheating, they will never work on any government projects, and they will be arrested. We don’t want any compromise on development projects,” warned Mhango.
Member of Parliament for Thyolo-Thava Constituency, Mary Navitcha, said she would be mobilizing people in the project areas to ensure that project materials are fully totally protected.
She said chiefs and communities should take responsibility in providing checks and balances to the projects.
She warned them against asking the contractors to sell them project materials like cement.
“We are the ones (villagers) who ask contractors to sell materials on the site. This will not be tolerated in these projects. We want everyone to participate in policing the projects,” said Navitcha.
Both bridge projects are financed by Roads Fund Administration to the tune of K262million.
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Honourable Mhango, you better introspect on what you have just done. A whole minister “ground breaking” two rural bridges. What is the MP in the constituency or councillors doing? These are projects which should be taken care of by councillors not even MP’s. At that level you should be communicating execution and progress on much publicised Transoort Master Plan. Anyamata my Zambia akutiseka because of exactly that. They think it’s laughable that a whole minister is launching ma bridge in the rural areas. I can understand their sentiments.