Dodma disappointed with irrigation schemes’ contract

D

epartment of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) commissioner Charles Kalemba has threatened to terminate the irrigation scheme rehabilitation contract awarded to Sempha Construction Company over alleged failure to meet contractual agreements.

The company was awarded the contract in July 2021 under Dodma’s Post Cyclone Idai Emergency Recovery Plan Project to rehabilitate four irrigation schemes in traditional authorities (T/As) Ndamera, Tengani and Malemia in Nsanje.

According to the contract agreement, the works were expected to be completed in December 2021, but were extended to February this year.

The deadline was shifted again to July this year following Tropical Storm Ana.

In August, Dodma ordered Sempha to deliver construction materials at Bangula warehouse and gave them 45 days to complete the works.

But when Kalemba and officials from the Irrigation Department and Nsanje District Council on Thursday visited Bangula to appreciate the quality of the delivered materials, but did not find other materials as part of the delivered consignment.

He said: “The contractor was invited to this meeting but surprisingly he has failed to show up. Several attempts to call him proved futile as he did not pick up the calls.

“He has delegated someone who has no information on the way forward and did not inform us of his failure to attend the meeting.”

Sempha Construction representative Patrick Phiri said he had come to show the commissioner and the team what they had delivered.

“I cannot lie that we have immediate plans to share with the communities on how we are going to proceed. I feel that there are some areas that need to be discussed with my boss,” he said.

Phiri admitted that some materials, including cables, were missing on the delivered consignment.

Meanwhile, communities around the schemes have been complaining about the delay in rehabilitating the structures damaged by Cyclone Idai in 2019 and have threatened to chase away the contractor.