By Isaac Salima:
Some sections of newly constructed roads in Blantyre have been damaged, a few months after they were opened to traffic.
Blantyre City Council has been constructing roads as one way of easing transport challenges in the city.
The roads include Ndirande- Makhetha, Chipatala Avenue- Kamba and Lali Lubani Road, some of which are yet to be officially opened.
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But The Daily Times has discovered that some of the sections are already damaged, a development that has not gone down well with Blantyre City Council (BCC) officials.
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For instance, at Chinyonga Round-about, we found contractors working on pavements that are said to have developed some cracks.
BCC has since acknowledged the problem, saying responsible contractors have been instructed to immediately rectify the defects as they have occurred within the defects liability period.
“The council is encouraging residents to report to them road infrastructure-related problems,” BCC Chief Executive Officer Dennis Chinseu said in a statement.
Chinseu further said that they have engaged assessors to scrutinise the entire stretches and that any defects identified will be addressed by the contractors.
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Managing director for Top Range Building Contractors Asaraf Jussab, whose firm has constructed the Kanjedza- Chinyonga stretch, said the firm takes quality issues seriously, such that they are on the ground.
“If there is any problem, we will surely work on it,” he said.
Supervisor at Meshoz Building Company Derick Dzinga, whose firm has constructed the Chipatala- Kamba Road, said they have not received any complaint related to the condition of the stretch.
Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Blantyre City Central Chipiliro Mpinganjira has urged BCC to hire more engineers for easy supervision of construction works.
“We have an Engineering Department at the council, which is mandated to oversee such works.
“However, the department is incapacitated, in terms of manpower. The council should engage more engineers so that they should be supervising works,” Mpinganjira said.
