Stakeholders in Chitipa District have faulted Wotazs Group Construction for substandard work on construction of a 24-meter span Kamilang’ombe concrete deck bridge in Senior Chief Nthalire in the district, which has partially collapsed.
Senior Chief Nthalire, in an interview on Sunday, had no kind words for the contractor, saying he had constructed a substandard bridge.
He said that the bridge had cracks before road users began using it.
“We thought that this contractor would do a quality and durable bridge, but at the end of the day, he has given the people of Chitipa a raw deal,” Senior Chief Nthalire complained.
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Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO) District Manager for Chitipa, Dunreck Pande, expressed his dismay with the substandard work for the bridge, saying there is a need for accountability in the construction industry.
“People of Nthalire deserve a quality and durable bridge and not substandard works because it is in a rural area,” Pande said.
Director of Public Works for Chitipa District Council, Engineer Misheck Gondwe said that the district council went to supervise the construction works of the bridge on July 8, this year.
Gondwe said that on July 9, they wrote a letter to the contractor to instruct him to demolish the bridge because it was substandard.
“During the supervision we found out that the deck has pronounced cracks thereby rendering it impassable by all categories of road users and also noted that total length of the bridge is not 24 metres. The material used, especially the quality of sand used was very poor.
Cement was not enough to provide strong bonding among aggregates.
Instead of quarry stone, different kinds of stones were used from the surrounding areas. Reinforcements were not adequate, resulting in warping of the deck and the foundation of pillars did not start from the underlying hard rock,” Gondwe explained.
He further said that the district council has not paid the contractor because the project is substandard.
“We cannot waste government resources on substandard works,” he said.
On several attempts to get his side of the story, Wotazs Group Construction Director, Bobbex Chinthu Banda, did not pick up the calls but according to the letter he wrote the district council on August 5, 2025, he accepted having done substandard works.
“We intend to deploy a completely new team and establish an improved supervisory method that will be effective in avoiding a repeat of the development. We will therefore have mobilised in two weeks, and we will inform your office, as well as communicate any other matters for your guidance,” part of the letter reads.
The K150 million Kamilang’ombe concrete deck bridge is under Rural Roads and Water Infrastructure Programme
