BREAKING NEWS – First Ever SAVE Project Site Handed Over

(MZUZU) Mzuzu University (MZUNI) – one of the nine Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) under the Skills for A Vibrant Economy (SAVE) Project has handed over its construction site to a contractor. The Site handover by MZUNI, the first ever since the project rolled out in June 2021 is a great milestone and revered achievement for the SAVE Project towards achieving its objectives. 

The site handover has lifted a persistent construction delay setback that haunted the SAVE Project governance, coordination and management teams. The SAVE Project has been dogged by delays in starting construction - hanging a gloomy grey cloud over its potential to succeed. The doubts have now been erased.

And to stamp its authority as winning bidder for the daunting construction task ahead, DEC Construction Limited rolled on to the site with an 18-ton heavy excavator, and a 45-foot container filled with construction tools and protective equipment – a symbol of readiness and commitment to deliver the promise. DEC Construction has promised to complete the construction in 15 – months, five months shy of the end of the project in June 2026.

At the handover, Deputy Vice Chancellor for MZUNI, Professor Wapulumuka Mulwafu announced that the construction for an Entrepreneurial Training Incubation Centre (ETIC) – to cost MWK7 billion was the first of such high value to be won by a local and young contractor at the university. 

Professor Mulwafu said the ETIC was in line with MZUNI strategic plan - to train entrepreneurs who instead of going to look for employment, they would go out there to create jobs.

“This is testimony that we want to offer quality education,” and be ranked among the best not only in Malawi but across Africa, he told the eyewitnesses at the campus. 

He said that when hiring the contractor MZUNI had complied with all required due diligence and legal processes and cleared with all relevant authorities.

Project Manager for the SAVE Project Grenard Mkwende congratulated MZUNI for being the first of the 31 beneficiary institutions of the project to sign a contract under his leadership and to hand over a site to the contractor, saying MZUNI has demonstrated true leadership.

“This is the direction we want to take,” he said.

Mkwende challenged the contractor that the funds for financing the construction are available so there should never be any excuses for delays.

He then fired a warning shot to the remaining project beneficiary institutions that: 

“You don’t sign a contract by November 30, you don’t do construction,” he said that that is the message all beneficiary institutions should take. As the project was fully funded by the World Bank, all procurement processes and regulations must strictly adhere to those of the Bank, he stated.

There are 31 participating institutions in the SAVE Project. They include nine public universities - Mzuzu University (MZUNI); University of Malawi (UNIMA); Kamuzu College of Health Sciences (KUHeS) (CoM); Kamuzu College of Health Sciences (KUHeS) (KCN); University of Malawi (UNIMA); Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR); Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), Domasi College of Education (DCE), and Nalikule College of Education (NCE). Seven national technical colleges include Livingstonia Technical College; Mzuzu Technical College; Lilongwe Technical College; Salima Technical College; Namitete Technical College; Nasawa Technical College and Soche Technical College and 15 community technical colleges across Malawi.