Mazabuka District Commissioner, Tyson Hamaamba has ordered the demolishing of the new structures at Itebe clinic due to poor workmanship and use of sub-standard materials.
The structures have been condemned by engineers from the ministry of works and supply and Mazabuka Municipal Council.
Mr. Hamaamba has since directed health authorities not to pay the contractor until engineers and building inspectors are content with workmanship and the quality of materials used.
He said the named local contractor who was awarded the K150 million contract should demolish and restart the construction of clinic at his own expense.
Mr. Hamaamba also instructed government engineers and building inspectors to closely monitor and supervise the contractor.
He said as leader of government operations in the district, he would not allow any contractor to do shoddy works as government was spending colossal sums of money to invest in infrastructure development.
He said it was disappointing and frustrating to note that while government is putting much emphasis on empowering local contractors by awarding them contracts, the workmanship of some local contractors was poor.
Mr. Hamaamba said government would not hesitate to blacklist poor performing contractors.
And Contractor, John Kantumoya told ZANIS in Mazabuka today that he would abide by government’s directive to demolish the structures.
Two weeks ago, Magoye Member of Parliament, Bennie Mweemba also called for the razing down of the of the structures due to poor workmanship.
ENDS/HC/AM/ZANIS
Good move. but lets not hope the reason is that sianacheke cabe, so nikumufiksa cabe through demolishing. We know the guys at building department.
Where were the building inspectors from GRZ and Council?
These guys were absent when they were supposed to be working on site to ensure the proper materials were procured and a high quality job was being done.
While the demolition is a welcome move, yet this is also an unfortune economic loss which could have been avoided.
The Contractor should be blacklisted or at leasted fined for a shoddy work, which clearly indicates the Contractor’s desire to defraud the Government and the public, and to endanger the lives of the users of the facility, had it been allowed to stand.
Zambia looks like an overgrown shanty compound. Poor workmanship is the order of the day. The last good building in Zambia was the ZANACO head office. Anything else is Kamwala-ish.
Gundix #1, that is precisely my question, were they sleeping? Why did they wait for the so called shoddy structure to be finished and appear at the 11th hour with their so called expert opinion? While it may be a good idea to have safe building, it is the height of injustice to the would-have-been beneficiaries of the clinic. They will now be forced to wait until the contractor’s kingdom comes. In any case, what happens if the contractor fails to raise a structure that will meet engineers’ expectation due to either lack of necessary skill or money? take him to court? and who pays if he is insolvent? what do Zambians get out of that? Taxpayers will pay for another contractor! I don’t like this. And in the first place, how was the “poor” contractor awarded the contract? Nichekeloko…
Roll in the mobile clinics!
GOOD MOVE!
Poor planning, sheer waste of resources, corruption ( as the contractors) could have been relations to the tender bosses… who knows? …….. the losers in here?? the Zambian tax payer…
Quality and cost management is….. doing your job right, the first time! (in my own undertanding)
Smells like someone was not given his cut .WE knwon that there are building inspectors so whare were tthey Shame coruption has become a open now