Theft of materials hampers railway project in Malawi

China Railway 20 Bureau concerned over rampant theft of construction materials at Marka-Bangula Railway project.

Workers for CR20

NSANJE, Malawi — China Railway 20 Bureau Corporation Malawi Limited, the company contracted to construct the Marka-Bangula Railway project, has expressed concern over the rampant theft of construction materials at its work sites, writes Cornelius Lupenga.

One of the company's officials, Trevor Tambula, said Wednesday that the thefts are affecting the progress of the project, which is expected to boost trade and transportation in the southern African nation.

"Almost daily, we lose materials such as cement, iron sheets, and other items. This is very unfortunate and unacceptable," Tambula said during a media briefing in Nsanje, one of the districts where the railway will pass.

He said the company has fired some of its workers who were caught stealing or aiding the thefts and has reported the cases to the police.

"We have zero tolerance for such malpractices. We cannot keep employees who sabotage our work and delay the completion of this project, which is the hope of many Malawians," he said.

Tambula also said that communication challenges between Chinese and Malawian workers sometimes cause misunderstandings and conflicts at the work sites.

"We have few interpreters who can translate between Chinese and English or Chichewa. Sometimes, there are issues that arise between the workers that take time to resolve because of the language barrier," he said.

He appealed to the media and the public to support the project and report any cases of theft or vandalism.

The Marka-Bangula Railway project, which covers about 200 kilometres (124 miles), is funded by a loan from the Export-Import Bank of China. It is expected to be completed by 2025.

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