Engineering body warns councils, CDF committees against bypassing standards as Simwanda bridge declared unsafe

The Engineering Institution of Zambia (EIZ) has issued a warning to all local Councils and Constituency Development Fund (CDF) Committees across the country against executing infrastructure projects without the full involvement and supervision of registered engineers.

The warning comes in the wake of Kalomo Town Council’s admission regarding the unsafe and substandard construction of the Simwanda Bridge in Dundumwezi Constituency, Nalujwa Ward, under the CDF.

In a statement, EIZ President and Chairperson of the Engineering Council, Wesley Kaluba, said the institution was dismayed by the breach of engineering standards and warned that any entities or individuals found flouting the law would face disciplinary action and potential prosecution.

“The safety of the public and the credibility of engineering works in Zambia must never be compromised,” Kaluba said.

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He cited the Engineering Institution of Zambia Act No. 17 of 2010, which mandated that only registered engineering professionals—engineers, technologists, technicians, and artisans— were permitted to undertake or supervise engineering projects.

Section 18 of the Act criminalises any unsupervised engineering works carried out by unregistered personnel, while Section 25 prohibits the practice of engineering consultancy by unregistered persons.

Kaluba called on the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) to issue immediate guidance to all Councils on mandatory adherence to engineering standards in CDF projects.

He also urged the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Office of the Auditor General to investigate possible abuse and misconduct related to CDF implementation.

Addressing the Simwanda Bridge case specifically, Kaluba described it as a “failure in oversight, compliance, and professional ethics.”

“It is alarming and unacceptable that Kalomo Council openly admitted to contracting a firm without engineering capacity, qualified staff, or the necessary tools and methods to execute a highly specialized 60-meter-long bridge,” he said.

He stressed that such actions represented gross negligence, a clear violation of public safety, and a breach of legal and professional standards governing engineering practice in Zambia.

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