The Roads Authority is facing mounting pressure after recommending a Chinese construction giant for K587 billion worth of road projects, despite its failure to complete a key road scheme awarded four years ago.
Human rights campaigners have demanded answers over why China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) is being lined up for two massive infrastructure contracts while part of the Kaunda Road project, awarded in 2022, remains unfinished.
The proposed deals reportedly include the K326 billion Wovwe Bridge project and the K261 billion Wovwe-Chiweta road project, together worth a staggering K587 billion.
The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) says the Roads Authority must explain how it concluded that CCECC was suitable for the new contracts when commuters are still waiting for the completion of a section of Kaunda Road between Bingu National Stadium and Chendawaka Junction.
HRDC vice-chairperson Madalitso Banda questioned whether contractor performance is being properly assessed before billions of kwacha in public funds are committed to fresh projects.
The coalition argues that the unfinished stretch has continued to expose motorists and residents to dust, traffic disruption and higher vehicle maintenance costs.
In a statement signed by Banda and HRDC national coordinator Kelvin Chirwa, the rights group called for greater transparency and accountability in the awarding of major public infrastructure projects.
The controversy has reignited concerns over how public contracts are awarded and whether companies that fail to complete existing projects should be trusted with even larger taxpayer-funded deals.
Critics say the Roads Authority now faces difficult questions over whether it has adequately taken into account CCECC’s record on the Kaunda Road works before recommending the contractor for two new mega-projects.
With nearly K600 billion at stake, campaigners insist the public deserves a clear explanation of how the recommendations were made and whether value for money, performance and accountability were given sufficient weight.
The Roads Authority’s response is expected to determine whether the unfinished Kaunda Road project has been factored into the assessment of CCECC’s suitability to take on some of Malawi’s biggest planned infrastructure developments.
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