By Benadetta Chiwanda Mia:
The National Construction Industry Council (NCIC) on Monday stormed the construction site of Jacaranda Shopping Centre along Masauko Chipembere Highway in Blantyre, and suspended all construction activities due to what it called noncompliance with council regulations.
This follows a stop order issued to property owner, CP Properties Limited, dated April 4th, 2024.
NCIC acting Regulatory and Enforcement Director Dorothy Nyong’onya said the contractor of the project, Asil Interiors, was found to be operating beyond the authorised registration category of K50 million.
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“We issue licenses based on the capacity of individuals or companies engaging in the construction industry. When we inspected the site, we discovered that the contractor was operating beyond their licensed category,” Nyong’onya stated.
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Despite the stop order, the contractor continued operations, prompting the council to involve the Police to enforce compliance.
The contractor was since taken to Blantyre police for a statement.
“Normally, upon issuing a stop order, the client must adhere to the directives. In this case, the client should have terminated the contract with the current contractor and engaged a properly registered contractor within the appropriate class and category,” Nyong’onya added.
In addition to licensing issues, Nyong’onya revealed that the contractor was also in violation of health and safety regulations after failing to provide adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for workers on site.
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“If somebody is defying and handling work above their class, something may happen which may affect the lives of the third party using the building. We have seen buildings collapsing because maybe people did not comply with the requirements and standards of the industry,” she added.
The NCIC underscored its commitment to achieving voluntary compliance by engaging stakeholders and educating them on industry requirements.
“The NCI Act has penalties which may be considered low, but we also have regulations to support the Act. Like this contractor, he will also undergo disciplinary because he has violated the law,” Nyong’onya stated.
The contractor present at the site during NCIC’s visit on Monday declined to comment on the matter. Malawi Engineering Institution Chief Executive Officer Arthur Wawenga commended NCIC for taking a decisive action against noncompliance. He emphasized that noncompliance poses safety risks to both infrastructure users and construction workers.
“What is required now is to intensify civic education to ensure that all players on a construction site are well aware of the regulations they need to comply with,” Wengawenga said.
The incident follows a similar suspension in August this year when the council halted construction of a warehouse owned by a Chinese national along the bypass road in Lilongwe.
