Mzuzu mayor demands speed, standards

Mzuzu City Mayor William Mkandawire has said delays and poor standards in the handling of some projects in the city are affecting operations of Mzuzu City Council (MCC).

The council has been facing criticism from the public and senior government officials over delays in completion of projects.

Ministries of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Local Government and Rural Development and Press Trust openly said they were not impressed with the way the council handles projects.

Speaking in interview yesterday, Mkandawire blamed the delays and compromised standards on procedures.

Said the mayor: “The committee comprises directors from different departments. The directors have other duties to attend to apart from the procurement plans. This affects the pace at which items are procured and delivered to the contractors.

“Construction materials for school blocks are stored in schools and in some cases you will find that the schools have used the items for other projects which further affects planned projects.”

He said when standards in projects are compromised, it is the council that suffers as it will have to renovate buildings after a short period using money earmarked for other projects.