Govt disowns Biwi CDSS project

Government has refused to assume responsibility  to pay for construction of school blocks at Biwi Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) in Lilongwe.

Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) spokesperson Manfred Ndovi said on Wednesday that communities surrounding the site earmarked for the project will foot the expenses to be incurred.

But a site board shows that government, through MoEST, owns the project.

However, Ndovi said communities surrounding the area will meet all costs for the project because they initiated it.

He said: “Of course, the ministry has full knowledge of the project and the contents of the site board, but it is not within our areas of support.

“Communities around the site are behind it and we expect them to implement it with or without financial assistance from government.”

Ndovi said the ministry can only provide technical support in areas of bills of quantities, tenders and designs.

“Communities will bear costs for the whole project. We may come in with some financial support if they make formal request for that,” he said.

But George Mateyu, a resident of Area 36—which lies less than 50 metres from the site—said government simply asked them to mobilise sand and bricks and that it would meet the other costs.

“In fact, we are surprised that there seems to be no progress taking place. Are you sure the whole government could expect us, financially-challenged as we are, to finance such a huge project?” he asked. n