Minister for Works Masanja Kadogosa has removed Engineer Fredrick Mande from his position as Acting Manager of the Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS) in Songwe Region and directed him to return to the agency’s headquarters following poor supervision of the construction of the 1,675-metre Forodha–OSBP–Tunduma road project at the Tanzania-Zambia border.

The decision followed Minister Kadogosa’s inspection of the project on the night of October 15, 2026, in line with directives from Vice President Deogratius Ndejembi, who had earlier expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace of construction despite the government having released a substantial portion of the project funds.

The project aims to improve the movement of vehicles and cargo across the Tanzania-Zambia border, reduce traffic congestion, enhance customs efficiency and facilitate regional trade. However, construction has been progressing slowly, despite the contractual deadline for completion being October 31, 2026.

Kadogosa has given the contractor two weeks to complete the remaining works. He also pledged to return to the site within seven days to assess compliance with his directives and ensure that construction has accelerated.

The minister further directed all TANROADS regional managers across the country to ensure transparency and accountability in the supervision of road construction projects. He stressed the importance of maintaining clear separation of responsibilities among the three key parties: the project supervisor, the contractor and the government’s representative overseeing the project.