Shambles in Malata, cement subsidy
Just days after opposition parliamentarians in the current sitting of parliament have punched holes in the Decent and Affordable Housing Subsidy Programme (DAHSP) Malawi News can reveal more serious short comings in Blantyre district with some of the beneficiaries declaring it off track.
The K7 billion programme, popularly known as Malata and Cement Subsidy Programme is faced with failure and partial delivery of building materials.
Malawi News visit to some of the areas in Chilaweni and Linjizi wards in Blantyre have revealed that some of the beneficiaries are coughing on average K 100, 000 to buy building materials for the completion of the houses in the project despite government initially pledging to fully support the construction works.
“I got 30 iron sheets, 20 bags of cement and 50 kg of lime only. This has forced me to cough almost K95, 000 to buy timber for the roofing and some nails looking at the impending rainy season.
“However, I can hardly afford door and window frames, for the completion of the house which government was also supposed to provide,” lamented Susan Layisi one of the beneficiaries of the programme in Group Village Mkumba’s area in Linjizi ward.
Another beneficiary, Ellen Koleni from the same area told Malawi News that despite getting some of the materials; the loan is a non starter considering the fact that government is flouting the agreement with the beneficiaries.
“I don’t think I will repay this loan, government promised to bring all the materials for us to construct houses at once but with the partial delivery, the agreement is not being honoured.
“We are being forced to use money from our pockets to complete the houses but that was not part of the agreement. I have been forced to sell my livestock to buy timber for the door and window frames and I am wondering whether I will get the money to start repaying the loan,” she lamented disclosing that she has already spent K 58, 000 on the house.
The programme which was approved by the National Assembly in the 2015/16 financial year has as of the end September this year registered 1 800 beneficiaries.
Statistics gathered from four housing development groups in Chilaweni ward from Group Village Heads (GVH) Chimbiya, Malunga, Machinjiri and Likoma show that all the beneficiaries got less than the initial government allocation.
In GVH Machinjiri’s area, records indicate that only 211 bags of cement and 110 iron sheets were delivered with a balance of 59 iron sheets 160 bags of cement remaining.
Records also show that only 238 iron sheets and 198 bags of cement were delivered in GVH Malunga’s area with a balance of 62 iron sheets and 105 bags of cement.
“We are appealing to government to make sure that the remaining materials are supplied in time before the rains start because some of the areas we come from become inaccessible during the rainy season,” said Rodwell Makunkha, chairperson of GVH Machinjiri housing development group.
Malawi News also established that due to a slow progress in the distribution of the materials from the Blantyre District Council warehouse in Lunzu, government has coughed a whooping K 3.3 million on security in a period of three months at the current rate of K 20, 000 for an armed police officer.
According to Blantyre District Council Chairperson for Works Committee councillor Tawanda Tambula, this is challenging because more money is being spent.
He, however, attributed the development to limited transport for the materials.
“This is the second lot we have so far received,” explained Tambula at the warehouse on Wednesday. “The challenge has been how to ferry the materials to the beneficiaries in various area and that has culminated into the need for heavy security.”
He was quick to express optimism that at the current pace the materials should be delivered by early December.
On his part, Group Village Nkumba blamed government for lack of preparation on the programme.
“We should not have seen all these challenges if government did not operate the programme the way it is doing,” lamented GVH Nkumba.
On his part, Blantyre District Council Chairperson Thomas Kaomba who corroborated Malawi News findings declared that the programme is off track due to what he said was central government’s bureaucracy.
“Councils were being dictated on what should be done. Most of the things were done centrally. The central government never prepared for the programme. That is why we are having all these anomalies,” said Kaomba.
On his part ministry spokesperson Charles Vintulla said the Housing Development Group will reconcile the materials given to beneficiaries and submit them to authorities for repayment.
Vintula acknowledged the problem of partial delivery of materials in some areas due to the phases that were followed in supplying the materials which made such shortcomings inevitable.
“Some indeed are getting few materials in the programme but the district councils have been empowered to make some fresh requests for additional building materials for those who got lesser materials. Some councils have already made the requests and the additional materials have been sent,” indicated Vintula.
In GVH Machinjiri’s area, records indicate that only 211 bags of cement and 110 iron sheets were delivered with a balance of 59 iron sheets 160 bags of cement remaining.
Records also show that only 238 iron sheets and 198 bags of cement were delivered in GVH Malunga’s area with a balance of 62 iron sheets and 105 bags of cement.
“We are appealing to government to make sure that the remaining materials are supplied in time before the rains start because some of the areas we come from become inaccessible during the rainy season,” said Rodwell Makunkha, chairperson of GVH Machinjiri housing development group.
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