Govt revives stalled Binga-Karoi Road project

  Following the completion of the first 10 km of the project, the government has stated that contractors are asked to submit bids for the rehabilitation of an additional 30 km of the Karoi-Binga Road. This was reported by NewsDay. Joshua Sacco, the deputy minister of transportation and infrastructure development, recently disclosed the news to the National Assembly. He was answering a question from Binga South lawmaker Fanuel Cumanzala of the Citizens Coalition for Change, who voiced worry about the unfinished Binga-Karoi Road, which was started long before Zimbabwe gained its independence. Cumanzala criticized the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development for their inability to finish the road's construction on time.  

  Given the road's importance in enhancing the Zambezi Valley residents' access to tourism attractions and outside markets, he asked the Transport and Infrastructure Development Ministry to explain to the House why the Binga-Karoi Road has stagnated. Are you aware that this road has the potential to impact politics as well as the economy because it is a promise made by multiple governments, including the colonial government?The late former president Robert Mugabe's administration likewise made the pledge when we gained independence. The second republic is now in existence, and the road is still being built.  

This is a big issue for the Zambezi Valley community. Do you have anything to say about this?” he asked.

  Sacco asserted, however, that since taking government, the second republic has built roughly 10 kilometers of the 60 km total. The Karoi-Binga Road is crucial for local economies, especially tourism, as well as for local communities. The Karoi-Binga Road will be upgraded and constructed further by the government, with the goal of converting its gravel surface to an all-weather standard. In 2019, development on the Karoi-Binga Road resumed under the second republic, with the completion of 10 kilometers from the 50-kilometer peg to the 60-kilometer peg at Zvipane Business Center. 2020 saw the completion of the newly built road segment, which is now accessible to traffic, according to Sacco.  

  Sacco stated that one contractor had been granted 10 kilometers of the government-issued offer for the renovation of an extra 30 kilometers in Mashonaland West. "The two remaining lots of 10 kilometers each have advanced in their finalization of tenders. Similar to this, 10 km of the Binga-Bumi Road segment in the province of Matabeleland North were just finished in 2023, spanning from the zero km peg to the 10 km peg. "The government is pursuing options for private sector participation in addition to moving forward with road upgrades under direct funding from the Treasury." A loan funding plan is currently being reviewed," he stated.