National News

Protests intensify over Nsanje Railway line contractor

Communities in Nsanje continue expressing their resentment at government’s intention to award China Railway 20 Bureau Group Corporation the contract to rehabilitate the Marka-Bangula-Railway.

The people are dissatisfied with the Chinese contractor, popularly known as CR20, after constructing the K11 billion Nsanje-Marka Road, which they allege is substandard and has brought pain to them.

The disgruntled citizenry have since pleaded with the Tonse Alliance administration to re-evaluate its intent and retender the contract project worth K68.279 billion.

Malemia speaks during the meeting
as Matchaya (R) listens

This came out on Wednesday during a community interface meeting conducted by the Malemia area development committee at Nsanje Boma to discuss, among others, the substandard Nsanje-Marka Road construction works and its effects on people’s lives.

They also discussed households’ demands of compensation for damages due to effects of poor planning of the 26 kilometre Nsanje-Marka Road that caused unnecessary flooding.

The meeting was attended by, among others, Senior Chief Malemia and traditional authorities Ngabu, Makoko, Chimombo and Nyachikadza.

Others were Nsanje district commissioner (DC) Medson Matchaya, councillors, Nsanje Police officer in charge Caroline Jere, civil society organisations and representatives of the contractor.

The development comes few days after the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (Cdedi) executive director Sylvester Namiwa wrote Minister of Transport and Public Works Jacob Hara requesting him to reconsider the awarding of the contract to the Chinese company.

Senior Chief Malemia said while the Nsanje people were delighted with the railway line, because of its economic importance, they have reservations with the successful bidder of the contract.

The Ministry of Transport and Public Works issued a Notification of Intention early this month to award a contract for the design, rehabilitation and upgrading of the railway line to CR20.

Initially, the contract was awarded to Mota-Engil but was retendered via restricted tendering process after concerned contractors complained to Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) that Mota-Engil, who had pegged the project at K48 billion, had hidden some items in their bid, among others, making them the lowest bidder.

Said Malemia: “We are all happy that the present government wants to rebuild the railway line, but people have an issue with the contractor. They want an assurance on what type of job will they do after their substandard work on the Nsanje-Marka Road project.

“So, as a council we resolved that the DC should write a letter so that some of us should meet the minister and other relevant authorities to see how they will help us and also find out if this contractor will really give us a good job.”

On his part, Malawi Economic Justice Network district coordinator Henry Zongoloti said the communities have lost trust in CR20 because of the shoddy work on the road.

When contacted yesterday, CR20 human resources manager Trevor Tambula declined to comment on the matter referring Weekend Nation to Roads Authority.

In October last year, ACB stopped Ministry of Transport and Public Works from dealing with Mota-Engil in designing, upgrading and rehabilitating the much-awaited railway line.

Related Articles

Back to top button