By Kondwani Kandiyado
The National Construction Industry Council of Malawi (NCIC) says communities are key in ensuring quality road infrastructure in the country.
NCIC Chief Executive Officer, Gerald Khonje said this during a road show community awareness campaign organised in collaboration with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) held at Chimwaza Trading Centre in Mponela-Dowa.
He said the awareness campaign is in line with the organisation’s strategic plan pillars of stakeholder focus and integrity.
Khonje said:”Every malawian is a stakeholder. Every malawian is a strategic partner in achieving our objectives in the construction industry.
“For us to have quality roads we need to have people operating in a professional way.”
He also said the awareness campaign was also in line with the presidential directive that the NCIC works hand in hand with ACB to ensure that resources are prudently utilised.
“We believe that communities along which the road is going to be constructed are going to take an active role in participating, identifying, detecting and reporting any unethical conduct that would compromise the quality of the road,” he said.
Khonje cited selling of materials meant for the project, theft of materials such as cement and other social ills as some of the challenges the National Construction Industry Council in Malawi faces.
“We would want to avoid these by sensitising people that they stand guard and be jealous about them by recognising the projects that are for malawians and for our own benefit,” he said.
Anti-Corruption Bureau ( ACB) Senior Public Education Officer Cannon Chenjezi said the construction industry is one of the fertile grounds for corruption where some people feel they can make easy money.
He said some people tend to be tempted to steal building materials and receive bribes when employing people who are supposed to work.
“Realising that, we partnered with NCIC to make sure that we sensitise the communities to make sure that they are watchdogs and that they report any corrupt practice to ACB,” said Chenjezi.
Christopher Maxwell of Chimwaza trading centre described the road show campaign by the two organisations as an eye opener.
The government through the NCIC is reconstructing the M1 road from Lilongwe via Mponela.
