By Iommie Chiwalo
The country’s Roads Authority (RA) has responded in favour of Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) which is demanding disclosure of road construction agreements signed during service procurement process.
In a letter dated March 15, 2022 signed by RA’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Engineer Francis Dimu and made available to this publication, says the documents are ready and shall be provided to CDEDI as stipulated in access to information laws.
Dimu said should there be need for photocopies, CDEDI might duplicate the documents at its own costs.
Initially, in its letter to RA dated February 28, 2022, for interest of transparency and accountability sake, CDEDI demanded the disclosure of contractual agreements for Jenda-Edingeni, Karonga -Songwe, Mzimba-Mzarangwe, Kapiri-Mkanda, Ntchisi -Malomo,
Kenyatta Drive & Sharrar Street not to mention of Ntcheu-Tsangano, Nsanje -Marka and Nsanama -Nayuchi roads.
The human rights organisation came flat on its watchdog role as a call for the country to raise the standards of public infrastructure, and fight the nauseating deep-rooted corruption entrenched in the construction industry.
Within the letter, CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa went further challenging Malawians to be keeping a keen eye on public infrastructure projects being implemented in their areas as one way of guaranteeing value for the money spent on the projects, such as roads, railways and bridges.
The heavy rains that have been experienced in the country have exposed poor workmanship, negligence and outright disregard of contractual details in the implementation of some projects.
However, despite disclosure of contractual agreements, Namiwa is still asking RA to audit projects under its jurisdiction against details of signed contracts for the same, and give feedback on the same.
