Aron Mushaukwa
KATIMA MULILO – Candino Mining and Construction, which was initially contracted to upgrade Mpacha Airport in the Zambezi region back in 2013, and seemingly abandoned the construction site after being paid N$62 million, has been re-appointed to do the same job.
The company was contracted to rehabilitate the runway, taxiways and apron at the airport.
In 2013, the company was awarded the tender to upgrade Katima Mulilo’s only airport, situated about 17 kilometres from town, in six months, which was later extended to one year.
The change in the scope later turned into a four-year job.
However, in March 2017, Candino allegedly abandoned the project.
During an inspection in May of the same year, then deputy minister of works and transport James Sankwasa, while touring the airport, claimed the responsible department in the works ministry had never informed the ministerial leadership about Mpacha’s contractual issues.
He further stated the ministry would investigate why the contractor had been paid in full – even though the project had not been completed, and what had been delivered was of poor quality.
Speaking during the groundbreaking of the rehabilitation of the runway last week works minister John Mutorwa explained he was hesitant to appoint the same company to re-do the same work.
“People were saying the work was simply put on hold because the money which was meant for the project was transferred somewhere else,” he stated.
He further fingered poor supervision for the substandard work. “The supervision was not that good, and everything went wrong. Whether it was done deliberately or not, the supervision was not good enough,” said Mutorwa.
He further explained that “due to the time lapse, the ministry needed to get legal clearance from the attorney general and treasury authorisation from the Ministry of Finance before any commencement with additional work”.
According to Mutorwa, in April this year, treasury authorisation was granted, and an amount of N$39.3 million was approved for the rehabilitation of Mpacha Airport.
NAC chairperson Leake Hangala blasted contractors who were previously awarded tenders and did shoddy work.
“Shoddy work by contractors must stop. We would like contractors to carry out the jobs given to them on time, on budget and to specifications. This call is directed to the contractor who is given the work to rehabilitate the work here at the Katima Mulilo airport,” said Hangala. He also stated that plans are underway to build a new and modern terminal building at the airport.
“This is highly essential for the promotion of tourism and to ensure competitive advantage, considering the strategic location of Katima Mulilo, which is connected to five southern countries under Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA),” he stated.