Bulawayo road rehab chews US$2m

The BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) says it has spent about $2 million to rehabilitate several city roads in an effort to improve the road network in Zimbabwe's second largest city.
The road restoration program includes repair, resurfacing, reinstatement of carriageway markings, and general maintenance.BCC corporate communications manager Nesisa Mpofu announced the developments with a statistics graph depicting the number of roads the city has renovated.
"The city has used US$1 927 800 with three roads having reached 100% completion and three roads at 90% complete," Mpofu stated.
She stated that the local government wanted to rebuild 13 roads throughout the city this year.
Roads to be rehabilitated in 2024 include Murchison Road, Luveve 5 roads, Herbert Chitepo Street, Fort Street, Maduma Drive, Luveve Road, 2nd Avenue/Lob Street, Batch Street Market link road, Leeds Street, Plumtree Road and Woodville Road at an estimated cost of US$7 947 000," Mpofu stated.
Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart claims the local authority need at least US$15 million per year to repair its road network, which deteriorates each wet season as heavy rains pound the aged infrastructure.
Coltart stated that the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) was not providing adequate cash to the council to repair municipal roads.
“Our major problem is that Zinara have paid us a pittance of what we need and also a pittance of what is paid by Bulawayo motorists to it, through car licence fees.

“There is fundamental inequity. We need a minimum of US$15 million per annum just to maintain our roads. Last year, we received US$800 000 from Zinara paid in RTGS at the official rate,” Coltart said.

Zinara, the parastatal responsible for road management, maintenance and development of the country’s national road network, collects millions of dollars from road users, but there is little to show for it amid claims that most of the funds are reportedly being misappropriated.
In 2021, the government launched the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) after President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared the country’s roads a national disaster.
The ERRP focuses on urgent repairs and rehabilitation of roads across the country."There exists basic injustice. We require a minimum of US$15 million per year to maintain our roadways. Last year, we received $800,000 from Zinara via RTGS at the official rate," Coltart stated.
Zinara, the parastatal in charge of road management, maintenance, and development on the country's national road network, collects millions of dollars from road users, but there is nothing to show for it, with claims that the majority of the funds are being misappropriated.
Following President Emmerson Mnangagwa's declaration of a national calamity on the country's roads in 2021, the government initiated the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP).
The ERRP focuses on essential road repairs and rehabilitation throughout the country.