Government through the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development and Ministry of Homeland Security over the week announced plans to review 2O heaters ‘barter’ land deal between previous administration and Worldwide Construction Company.
Ministers responsible Kezzie Msukwa and Richard Chimwendo Banda respectively announced the development after touring the land in question which is located behind Police C Company in the Capital City Lilongwe.
According to a mean investigation conducted by the publication, in May 2019 the immediate past administration entered into a ‘barter’ agreement with Worldwide Construction Company to develop Lilongwe town infrastructure at plots number 2/017 and 2/683.
The agreement entails that the police office will be relocated to a designated and a more suitable location outside of the town whereas in its place an uptown office complex befitting the city’s infrastructural plans will be elected.
Furthermore, the construction company agreed to build more decent houses for police officers (from Area 30,47,6 and 2 in Lilongwe) and to foot all construction expenses and handle all human resources requirements in the building and relocation process.
This means that they will not be taking over the land freely, instead they will be paying the Malawi Government in full and in kind through. The agreement further highlighted that the land development shall be done in three phases.
In the first phase, the constructor will he construction of 140 three bedroom dwelling houses, office blocks, an armory, a shooting driving range, a garage plus inspection pit, Parade and Football ground and multipurpose hall.
While the second phase will see the construction 160 three bedroom houses at the National Police Headquarters and lastly Hostels for up to 150 Males and 150 Females at Area 6 ,that will accommodate up to eight persons per room plus a car park that accommodates four armed vehicles.
The publication has further learnt that, stakeholders and legal advisory team from Lilongwe City Council, Malawi Police and local residents took part in negotiating the barter land deal between government and Construction Company.
A year down the calendar since the deal was legally signed, the two ministries in conjunction with the Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) intends to review the terms and conditions of the deal.
As it stands, Millions of Kwachas have already been spent in the first phase of the deal which is currently underway and tax payers will have to pay billion if government intends to cancel the agreement.
