Simbi’s Khato starts mobilising state- of-art equipment in readiness for Lake Malawi project

As preparations for commencement of the historical Lake Malawi Water Supply Project are at an advanced stage, the contractor of the project Khato Civils is mobilising heavy duty equipment in readiness for the multi-million dollar project, Nyasa Times can reveal.

Latest to arrive in Malawi are two heavy duty tesmec trenchers 1675, commonly known as “rock eaters” that entered into Malawi through Mwanza border on Tuesday afternoon.

Khato Civils Executive Chairperson Simbi Phiri told Nyasa Times  his company invested $4 million in purchasing the state- of-art machines from Italy.

The tesmec machines, according to the South African-based-Malawian billionnaire, weigh over 96 metric tonnes each and have the capacity to dig 10 metre-deep-piping-system at a distance of 15 kilometers per day.

“Yes its true we are mobilising in readiness for the Salima water project,” said the soft speaking Phiri.

He further said the trenchers are new and will be the first time to be used here in Africa.

“The machines are used in making piping system and do not see a hill or a stone, they dig at faster pace while sand is being thrown sideways, that is why its nicknamed ‘The Rock Eater’ it cuts the rock like bread,” explained Phiri.

Ironically, the two machines were reportedly detained in Mozambique for 45 days as the Mozambican government said they were too heavy to pass through its newly-built bridge.

“We had to pay over 1 million Rands to the Mozambique government to be allowed to pass through after being detained for over a month,” he added.

Phiri has since rejected notion that his company was poised to start the project without an environmental assessment.

Explained he: “I don’t know whether its lack of understanding of these things or just twisting of information, but what i know is that we were appointed on EPC {meaning Engineering, Procurement and Construction} contract and in that package we were supposed to come up with a survey then final designs of the entire project which we did. The final designs will be handed over to a consultant appointed by the client.”

“There is no way you can do an enviromental assessment without those final designs, what will you be assessing in the absence of designs in the first place?” queried Phiri.

He added: “We are done with the final designs, the route of the pipeline has been established. What remains now is for the client to finalise the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA). Once that process is done we will be ready to roll. In the meantime as a company we have intensified mobilisation of all the necesarly resources. It is a vigorous and expensive process, may be that’s why we were awarded the contract because this project requires someone who has the technical and financial capacity to do the job efficiently.”

The business tycoon also added that he already has invested millions of dollars into the project, “that just tells you how much serious and committed I am for the project.”

Meanwhile, Attorney General Kalekeni Kaphale has told the media that he was never against the project but advised government to follow procedures, a process he said is currently being done.

Said Kaphale: “I dont know where people are getting reports that I am against the project, I only advised government to make the project legally binding which I can confidently say it’s happening now.”

On his part, Malawi leader President Arthur Peter Mutharika told state-owned MBC Television recently the water project would make the capital city Lilongwe water sufficient for the next 100 years.

The project attracted mixed reactions from many Malawians on how Khato was to implement the project in the absence of an ESIA.

This prompted the Malawi Law Society to go to court to seek redress on the matter.

However, Nyasa Times investigations reveal that MLS jumped the gun as government through the Lilongwe Water Board was already in the process of identifying a consultant to carry out the assesment after the contractor had submitted final designs of the project.

Khato Civils won the $500 million project after seeing off competition from 6 other multi-national companies such as Mota Engil, Synohdro Tech and others in a closed tendering process.

Apart from the 130 kilometre pipeline, Khato will also construct a state- of- art water treatment plant right at the in-take in Salima so that the water also benefits communities along the pipeline.

Khato has also invested in alternative energy sources such as solar, windmill and batteries to make sure there is no interruption interms of pumping water from the lake.

Meanwhile, various bodies have weighed in to support the project saying it’s the only way to address acute water shortages in Lilongwe.

The bodies include Engineers Association of Malawi, Economists Association of Malawi (Ecama) and several other civil society groups.

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