Minister of Local Government Ben Phiri Friday took a swipe at the country’s engineers and politicians over what he described as an appetite for bribes, which he said has resulted in them giving Malawians “dummies” instead of solid structures.
Phiri was speaking in Lilongwe when engineers, led by the Malawi Engineering Institution, celebrated World Engineering Day under the theme ‘Smart engineering for a sustainable future through innovation and digitalisation’.
According to Phiri, engineers need to conduct a self-audit of their contribution to the country.
“We have roads that are being cut, and some of the engineers are in this house. Some of the contractors are in this house today.
“Government has lost billions of kwacha, and I believe the theme today is about trying to change the same,” Phiri said.
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He observed that in the five months he has been in office, he has witnessed both successes and failures that engineers must answer for and reflect on.
According to Phiri, whether the current crop of engineers is filling the shoes as expected of them, and whether engineering lecturers need to change the curriculum are questions that senior engineers must address.
“When we see the levels of integrity that we are grappling with, and when we see politicians like myself receiving billions from the 20 percent mobilisation fees from you engineers, knowing very well that this is not profit but a mobilisation fee meant to help you mobilise for the betterment of the project you are doing…
“…And you still go on to give it to us, giving us an appetite for even more money. I wonder whether that type of integrity is what we want to embed in the new engineers that the university is producing,” Phiri said.
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He said it is time for engineers to begin to stigmatise corruption.
“It is only when you desist from corruption that I will not come and bribe you and demand a share.
“I have contributed and you have contributed to the failures of engineering systems because you and I agreed to be corrupt and share money,” Phiri said.
He said that when engineers and politicians are sharing taxpayers’ money, they need to think about ordinary people.
“Forget about yourself and think about that lady in Nsanje, in Chiromo. When you are getting money from the mobilisation fee, think about that lady in Chitipa.
“She should have received a clinic from the money you are sharing, yet she is dying on her way to seek medical care because an engineer decided otherwise,” Phiri said.
He added that there are times when engineers come begging, “If I get this job, this is your cut.”
“And you are smiling while doing that. We have given Malawians dummies instead of giving Malawians what they truly deserve,” Phiri said.
President of the Malawi Engineering Institution, Ronald Gundamtengo, said World Engineering Day provides an opportunity for honest reflection.
He said infrastructure failures are rarely caused by nature alone, noting that extreme weather often exposes weaknesses that already exist.
Inadequate drainage design, poor material selection, compromised supervision and failure to maintain assets increase vulnerability.
“Professional integrity therefore remains the foundation of engineering excellence.
