Sex freezes K14bn road project

• Police, World Bank launch investigations
• Contractors demanded sex for favours

The World Bank has suspended works on a K14 billion road project in the Lower Shire after some workers implicated the contractor in claims of contractual breaches bordering on sexual harassment and gender-based violence.

Both the Roads Authority (RA) and World Bank confirmed that the contractor, China Railway No.5 Engineering Group Corporation, which is constructing the 60-kilometre Thabwa-Chitseko-Seven Road in Chikwawa District, is now under probe for claims of sexual harassment and being in breach of labour, occupational health and safety standards.

“Allegations against the government-hired contractor were uncovered as part of the World Bank’s supervision and due diligence duties,” Greg Toulmin, the World Bank country manager said in an e-mail response on Wednesday.

He said the partial suspension will be in place until the bank is satisfied that the Malawi Government has taken decisive steps to implement the required safeguards.

“The World Bank is working to ensure that those who may have been harmed receive the support they need,” Toulmin said.

The RA said works have been suspended through an order dated August 1 2019, after government—with World Bank funding—spent over $13.8 million (about K10.3 billion) on the rehabilitation of the road to sub-base level.

The road works were at 65 percent.

A Weekend Nation visit to Livunzu Camp Site in Chikwawa on Wednesday, found the project site quiet as earth moving equipment was parked following the order.

Women workers lodged complaints to a World Bank delegation which visited the site a fortnight ago, that some of the contractor’s Chinese nationals, were demanding sex in exchange of favours.

The bank officials’ visit followed a rights education meeting which a local civil society organisation, Centre for Empowerment of Women and Girls (Cewag), held at the camp, where the abuse allegations first surfaced.

Cewag executive director Beatrice Mateyu said her organisation visited the area to empower women to speak out on sexual harassment and gender-related abuses, because some women in the area thought it was normal to be treated the way they were being treated.

Toulmin confirmed that during the bank’s visit “serious breaches related to gender-based violence (GBV), sexual harassment, and labour, as well as occupational health and safety issues” were raised.

One of the female guards at the site told Weekend Nation on Wednesday that some of the foreign nationals demand sex at will from local female workers.

“They go around touching local women’s breasts, private parts and buttocks as we work. When employing a local female worker, some demand sex. Even when they want to help you on a labour-related issue, they demand sex,” she alleged.

The woman also said local workers were unhappy with the wages, safety and health issues as well as verbal and physical abuse.

“Mostly, these people shout at us using abusive words,” she said.

On safety concerns, the woman alleged that recently, one of the contractor’s vehicles killed a local worker’s child and in another incident, a local worker fell from a crane and was injured.

A Mr Wang, who is China Railway Number 5 business development manager at Livunzu confirmed the suspension of the project, but was reluctant to discuss details of the suspension.

However, upon bringing to him the list of the allegations levelled against his company, Wang said there was no case at the police or labour office against his company.

“We received orders to stop working on the project over safety concerns. There were several accidents at the camp,” he said.

But on sexual harassment allegations, he said: “There are no reports at the police or labour office against the company.”

Chikwawa Police Station Officer-in-Charge Dave Chingwalu said police have launched investigations into sexual harassment allegations.

“We have sent officers to investigate because sexual harassment is a crime,” he said.

Group village head Malata, in the area in which the camp is located, said he was aware of the suspension of the road works.

“I have not heard anything about sexual harassment. All we know is that there have been disagreements over wages,” he said.

Minister of Transport and Public Works Ralph Jooma said, on Wednesday, the ministry was aware of World Bank’s decision to suspend the firm, but said it will wait for the investigation report to decide as to when the project can resume.

“What the bank has done is to suspend the works, but it will be government that will decide because the contract is between the contractor and Malawi Government,” he explained.

Roads Authority spokesperson Portia Kajanga said, as a contracting authority, RA has also instituted its own investigations. “Appropriate decisions will be made once results of the two investigations are out,” she said.