By Isaac Salima:
Industry and Trade Minister Vitumbiko Mumba on Friday faulted guidelines in the construction industry, saying they pave the way for mediocrity.
Mumba said this in Blantyre during a public lecture themed ‘Code of Ethics in Malawi’s Construction Industry’.
In his presentation, spanning over two hours before a filled-to-capacity Comesa Hall, Mumba wondered why, unlike lawyers, accountants and medical personnel, engineers and architects do not get punished for wrongdoing.
“We read in the [news] papers, where lawyers are suspended for swindling clients’ money. We hear about doctors facing bans for their bad actions but this is not the case with engineers or architects, who are not held answerable for wrongdoing,” Mumba said.
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The minister decried lack of morality and poor enforcement of codes of ethics in the construction industry, saying the development was leading to loss of life and the country’s resources.
Mumba also cited corruption and kickbacks as some of the factors that fuel shoddy work in the construction sector.
“There should be prosecutorial powers in the code of ethics so that those found on the wrong side should be punished,” he said.
In his contribution, former Blantyre City Mayor Noel Chalamanda urged the citizenry to take action whenever they are served with poor services.
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“People should develop the culture of taking to task those who have not delivered services well. We should be questioning these poor roads that continue to damage our cars,” he said.
Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences Executive Dean for the School of Engineering, Burnet Mkandawire, said the engineering field was, like other professions, key to national development.
He said, as such, ethics were essential to effective service delivery.
The lecture was the second one following another one which Mumba held at the University of Malawi campus in Zomba City in April this year. It was titled ‘People over Politics’.
