Questions over construction standards

I

n Malawi, heavy rains appear to be doing a better job than engineers paid to supervise the construction of public structures.

When torrents cause havoc, new roads, schools and bridges are shattered, shocking ordinary Malawians who trust engineers to insist on quality work.

From Karonga to Nsanje, many public facilities are ripped by frequent flooding.

These include the K16 million toilet that crumbled like a cookie in Rumphi and the 180-metre Chapananga Bridge devastated by Cyclone Ana in 2022  within months after former president Peter Mutharika commissioned it.

So extensive is the country’s purpoted longest bridge that the ex-president once proclaimed it is 180 kilometres (km) long in a rare slip of the tongue.

However, weather shocks do not respect construction works that defy basics.

When Ana swamped the Southern Region in 2022, swollen Mwanza River swept away the muddy approach into the K6 billion bridge, located 60km west of Chikwawa town.

Today, passers-by blame engineers and their overseers for leaving the approach fragile though floods are a familiar hazard in the Shire Valley.

The quality of public projects stirs a fiery debate over the country’s public finance management and procurement crisis.

The resulting wreckage evokes memories of the meticulously constructed facilities of old that could stand the test of time.

Critics say the return of democracy in 1993 marked a dramatic drop in the quality of public goods amid waning efficiency and durability. They hail one-party rule for championing ambitious construction of long-lasting roads, buildings and utilities.

These included public universities, tarred roads, hospitals and office buildings.

As the country today grapples to balance the demands of modernity and appetite for quality public assets, they find the Chapananga scenario a mockery compared to heavy-duty bridges named after founding president Kamuzu Banda in Chikwawa.

Some experts blame the falling standards on meagre financial allocations for the projects and rigid procurement systems.

However, Grace Khumalo, head of the Department of Architecture at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Science (Mubas), partly blames lax private engineers deployed by government to uphold standards.

She states: “In the past, infrastructure projects were overseen by government construction supervisors to ensure adherence to quality standards.

“But privatisation has excluded experts such as engineers and quantity surveyors from the estimation process, thereby impacting on project quality and longevity.”

National Construction Industry Council (NCIC) chief executive officer Gerald Khonje says some construction firms skip vital stages because quality comes at a high cost.

“Some stakeholders avoid investing in consultancy, thinking they’re saving money. Yet, in reality, they stand to lose more if things go wrong,” he warns.

Khonje faults some consultants for grossly undervaluing the costs to win contracts.

“This often results in cutting corners and opting for the cheapest methods just to deliver the project,” he states.

NCIC regulates the industry at the centre of delayed, overpriced and substandard projects that drain public funds.

Concerned Malawians want the regulator to crack down on individuals and companies behind the raw deal.

Khonje says: “The council does not handle procurement regulations; instead, a separate body oversees this responsibility.

“However, we take corrective measures, including admonishing and punishing those who  breach dos and don’ts.”

Periodically, NCIC publishes lists of companies delisted and projects suspended for various flaws.

Khonje said the council has developed infrastructure delivery management standards to guide project planning and conducts technical project audits that uncover various shortcomings.

NCIC has also partnered with the Anti-Corruption Bureau to curb corruption in the industry tainted by illicit commissions that divert funds budgeted for quality works.

The concerns about dwindling standards and neglected inefficiencies gave rise to the Construction Sector Transparency Initiative (Cost).

The transparency initiative runs a public portal where all government departments are supposed to upload information about their infrastructure contracts.

Cost Malawi chairperson Joe Ching’ani says the online platform promotes transparency and access to project details, including budgets and progress updates.

However, Surveyors Institutes of Malawi former president Martin Chimangeni says contractors should cease acting as consultants.

“Instead, hire qualified experts and engineers to oversee projects,” he says. “Infrastructure procurement should also be managed by experts who understand the process thoroughly.” 

He asks government to employ qualified and licensed professionals, with stringent checks and balances by planners who can stop projects when necessary.

Despite the official rhetoric, good intentions and existing measures, the quality of infrastructure requires an upgrade to keep up with the good ole standards.