The company’s managing director, Dan Chale, says he got the award on merit.

He told media in Blantyre on Tuesday after minister of lands, Kezzie Msukwa, visited the houses that he followed all the necessary procedures to be awarded the contract.

“People have been associating the company with politicians and have connected that to the award of contract to the company. The truth of the matter is that I am the owner of the company; no politicians is connected to it.

“They have been saying that the MHC project is worth 3 – 4 billion Kwacha which is not true. It is a K247 million project. Sometimes these issues come out of jealousy. Instead of inquiring how things are done, people resort to propagate fake news which is not good,” he said.

Chale said that “there have been reports circulating on social media alleging that former minister of local government, Kondwani Nankhumwa, owns the company.

“That is not true. There is no connection between Honorable Kondwani Nankhumwa and DEC Construction. May be this is coming because I won some contracts from the local government ministry at a time Honorable Nankhumwa was the minister,” he said.

Currently, DEC Construction is constructing Thyolo and Zomba stadia, M’mbelwa District Council Office Complex and Mponela Community Hospital.