Machinga K10m bridge collapses before launch

AK9.9 million bridge collapsed a fortnight ago in Machinga South Constituency before it was even launched, Weekend Nation has learnt.

Our findings show that the concrete deck bridge at Lingoni in Traditional Authority (T/A) Chamba in Machinga District was built with Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

The contractor, George Daudi claimed that he used 245 bags of cement on the project, translating to K1.9 million at K10 000 per 50kg bag, but could not produce supporting documents.

He admitted, in an interview, that he did not sign a contract with the council, but was approached to do the job because of his expertise in bridge construction in the area.

Said Daudi: “I do not have any receipts to show for the purchases made, but all the required materials were bought such as nails, soft wires, shovels and 245 bags of cement.”

Daudi, however, defended his workmanship, arguing that it was not shoddy or poor but, perhaps, a vehicle crossed the bridge while the cement was still soft, thereby weakening the structure.

When asked why the bridge had no reinforcements or supporting pillars to hold the structure, Daudi explained that he had previously constructed similar designs and experienced no problems.

But some area development committee (ADC) members we spoke to dismissed Daudi’s ‘vehicle passing through the bridge’ theory, saying no car drove past it as the site was cordoned off.

They explained that the project, which commenced in August this year and was completed end of November, was done without the participation of ADC members.

Said one woman who asked for anonymity: “As ordinary members of the committee, we were not allowed access to anything.”

Legislator for the area Grant Ndecha, while confirming the turn of events, said the issue was being politicised to discredit him.

He wondered why the focus was only on his constituency “when in some neighbouring constituencies such as Machinga South East and Machinga East bridges also collapsed but nothing was reported”.

Said Ndecha: “I do not want to comment much on this issue because I suspect it is all politics. As MP for the area, I instructed the contractor to re-do the works and he agreed to do it at his own cost, so there is no reason to panic.”

But when we confronted the legislator with evidence of non-adherence to CDF guidelines in the implementation of the project, he referred us to district council officials.

In a telephone interview yesterday, Machinga district commissioner Rosemary Nawasha refused to comment on the issues, and referred Weekend Nation to director of public works Ulemu Sambakunsi who asked for a questionnaire, which he did not respond to until press time.

But T/A Chamba described the incident as a huge embarrassment to his area, saying members of the community equally failed in their duty to monitor the works.

Centre for Social Accountability Transparency executive director Willy Kambwandira, whose organisation was tipped about the incident through whistle-blower initiative, said the issue is just a tip of the iceberg of gross violations of CDF guidelines.

He pointed out that it is high time CDF guidelines provided clear sanctions for violations, adding that the matter has already been taken to the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Office of the Ombudsman.

Said Kambwandira: “Unfortunately, what has happened has deprived communities in T/A Chamba their right to development. As the rainy season has started, we are told that children will not be able to go to school when the river overflows.”

Through CDF, councils now receive a combined K7.7 billion annually, based on the current yearly allocation of K40 million for each of the 193 constituencies nationwide.

But mismanagement of the funds is sucking these investments dry and has largely left beneficiary communities no better off than they were before the projects, studies show.

One such study, published in August 2016, is on budgetary allocations and local revenues that researchers Andrew Mpesi, Roy Hauya and Kalako Mondiwa carried out for DanChurchAid in seven selected district

councils.

On CDF, which channels money from central government directly to electoral constituencies for local infrastructure projects, the study reveals that 71 percent of all sampled CDF projects were not completed “likely due to fraud”.

A Central Internal Audit Unit probe covering the period between July 1 2014 and June 30 2016 for Lilongwe District Council, found that millions were being spent without the council’s internal procurement committee approving the purchases.

In some cases, MPs personally get quotations for materials and proceed to procure, an activity that CDF guidelines state should be carried out by council officials.

Former Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe told Parliament in June 2017 that there was “gross mismanagement of the CDF and District Development Fund [DDF]” which a preliminary report found that about K80 million could not be accounted for CDF in 16 districts in 2016/17.