Roads Authority risks lawsuit over contract awarded to Mota Engil

Centre for Mindset Change (CMC) has threatened to drag the Roads Authority (RA) to court for awarding a contract to Mota Engil Africa – a company the Centre argues has “questionable competence.”

CMC executive director Phillip Kamangira said they are baffled that amidst public outcry that the company does not adhere to contractual agreements it signs in road construction projects, RA went ahead to award yet another contract to the company worth K9, 878, 886, 404.25 billion.

RA has awarded Mota Engil Africa a contract to improve the capacity of Mzimba Street in Lilongwe City, according to the notification of intention to award a contract, which Nyasa Times has seen.

The road runs from Central Medical Stores Trust Entrance through Kamuzu Central Hospital Roundabout to Mchinji Roundabout.

But Kamangira said they are worried that Mota Engil Africa may not complete the project as specified in the contractual agreement.

He cited projects like the Njakwa-Livingstonia Road, the Lilongwe Interchange and the Lirangwe – Chingale Road that have a lot of questions without answers.

“As CMC, we are very much dismayed to notice that despite all the issues we have raised against Mota Engil, the Roads Authority has the audacity to continue giving this project to Mota Engil. We believe that nothing will change in terms of the price and that thus work will be completed just as prescribed in the contractual agreements. We wish to warn both RA and Mota Engil that failure to complete this project due to any illogical grounds will result into seeking a legal redress,” he warned.

But RA spokesperson Portia Kajanga parried away CMC fears, saying Mota Engil Africa was cleared by the National Construction Industry Council (NCIC).

“I don’t know what basis they have for their threats to drag RA to court because Mota Engil Africa was cleared by NCIC, which is the mother body for all construction companies in Malawi. If they have issues with the way the contract was awarded, let them come to us. And that is why we publish the contracts in the media,” said Kajanga.

Mota Engil Africa has recently come under heavy criticism for alleged and perceived lack of competence, following complaints that the company did not complete some of the projects it was awarded previously.

In a classic example, the company was accused of defying President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera’s directive to award 30 percent projects to the local contractors.

Chakwera had ordered that all international bidders should allocate 30 percent to local contractors when accorded an opportunity to manage projects through a thorough process.

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