Attorney General (AG) Thabo Chakaka-Nyirenda has cautioned architects that the art of building is ethically demanding, therefore, it is their moral and legal obligation to ensure that buildings are safe.

The AG said this at the 40th annual general meeting (AGM) of the Malawi Institute of Architects (MIA), which opened on Wednesday and closed yesterday in Mangochi District.

Chakaka-Nyirenda: Avoid causing harm

In his presentation titled ‘Liability of Architects’ Chakaka-Nyirenda said architects must at all times observe high standards as their profession demands that people who use buildings they worked on, including bridges, are safe.

He said the loss of buildings as it happened during Cyclone Freddy in the Southern Region recently could be prevented if architects worked professionally.

“Robust regulation of the profession of architects and quality implementation of the law relating to the profession of architects would serve to bring sanity in the profession and would ensure that only principled architects are allowed to practice,” he said. 

The law under the Architect and Quantity Surveyors Act of Malawi, he said, makes it an offence for an unregistered person to masquerade as an architect.

 “Architects have not only a duty to avoid causing foreseeable harm to persons or property but also a duty to avoid pure economic loss, as a result of the unprofessional work,” the AG said.

Speaking at the opening of the conference, MIA outgoing president Catherine Sani said they set out to pursue visibility.

She bemoaned issues of corrupt practices in the industry, lack of ethics, infringement on architectural practice by allied professions, illegal practice of architecture and lack of enforcement of statutes, among others.

National Planning Commission director general, Thomas Munthali, who was the guest of honour, challenged the architects to be on the top of things in creating secondary cities in line with the urbanisation pillar in the Malawi 2063 vision blueprint.

During the AGM, MIA elected Khumbo Chirwa as its new president.

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