Mota-Engil losing over K150m monthly to theft

Mota-Engil says it is losing over K150 million (about $375 000) every month due to theft of materials, diesel in particular, at its railway line project at Mkwinda Campsite in Neno.

Police have since arrested 10 people for allegedly being found in possession of suspected Mota-Engil diesel at Kanono and Mdeka trading centres and Zalewa Turn Off.

Mota-Engil (Malawi) managing director Jose Dinis Da Silva told The Nation on Tuesday that maintaining security, preventing thefts and vandalism has been a major challenge across its 140-kilometre stretch of the project.

“The thieves are specially focused on the diesel that is siphoned from the heavy plant machinery. They also target steel reinforcement bars, formwork, scaffolding, machinery parts such as batteries, wheels, tyres and other easy-to-carry parts.

“Our estimate is that the monthly value of direct losses is over K150 million, excluding indirect losses from production,” he said.

Da Silva said the development is negatively affecting production levels through time loss in refuelling the machines, replacing stolen spare parts and repairing equipment.

He said while the company works closely with the police in fighting these malpractices, results have not come as expected.

“The public should realise that the project is important for the country as it will contribute to its development and benefit people through a direct railway access to the Indian Ocean, thereby decreasing the cost of transportation.

“The project has a huge impact on the local economy at it employs more than 3 000 Malawians and others that work as different service providers to the project,” said Da Silva.

He appealed to the public to cooperate with authorities in dealing with the criminals rather than conniving with them.

The project consists of a 140 km new railway line starting at the Mozambican border at Kachaso Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Chapananga in Chikhwawa, going up to Nkaya junction, T/A Nkaya, Balaka.

Along all the alignment there are many work fronts established to enable the construction of the 22 bridges, the moving of the 13 million cubic metres of earth and the installation of 28 000 metres of culverts of different sizes.

Southern Region Police spokesperson Nicholas Gondwa on Monday said they undertook an operation on Monday which resulted in the arrest of suspects and the recovery of diesel.

He said 50 jerry cans and three 200-litre drums of diesel were recovered.

Gondwa said 19 of the 50 jerry cans were 30-litre whereas 31 were 20-litre containers.