Govt turns up heat on road construction firms

VICE President Constantino Chiwenga yesterday implored construction companies that are rehabilitating roads leading to the New Parliament Building in Mount Hampden to work against the clock and finish early before the country hosts the SADC Summit in August.

After visiting the region yesterday, Vice President Chiwenga stated that the government had originally given construction companies until July to complete the road restoration work. However, he now expects the job to be finished by the end of June. "We want the significant SADC meeting that takes place in August to be a success. They must therefore alter their work ethic and start working around the clock going forward in order to meet the requirements of finishing early and producing high-quality work.

"By June, I want this task completed. The deadline in July—forget about it. By June, I want everything finished. We are now on schedule, and they will reach the goal. I'll be there with them. VP Chiwenga stated, "I don't see anything that will derail this program." He continued by saying that the government would provide the necessary funding to allow the contractors to complete the road construction on time. Vice President Chiwenga declared, "As a government, we will do everything within our power to help them reach the goal, and it should be done as professionally as we can."

Vice President Chiwenga's assessment of the situation follows strict timelines as Zimbabwe gets ready to host the regional indaba in August, marking President Mnangagwa's appointment as SADC chairperson. VP Chiwenga was accompanied by Dr. Jenfan Muswere, Minister of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services; Felix Mhona, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development; and Ambassador Frederick Shava, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Engineer Amos Marawa, Attorney General Virginia Mabiza, and Deputy Chief Secretary and National Coordinator in charge of major projects and programs in the Office of the President and Cabinet

Mr. Clever Ruswa, the CEO of the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ), was among the tour group members. Engineer Marawa (left) briefs Vice President Chiwenga as Minister Mhona watches Tuesday. "After witnessing what they are doing, I am pleased; this is positive. The roads are beginning to take shape. We desire this, and it's quite fantastic and inspiring," Vice President Chiwenga stated. As part of the "Nyika Inovakwa Nevene Vayo" concept, "we also want to tell our people that it is not an issue of talking too much and admiring other countries but rather participating in the development of your own country."

According to VP Chiwenga, PRAZ was included in his delegation to carry out government policy, which guarantees that domestic businesses contribute to national development and are given priority when taking on government contracts. As you can see, we support PRAZ and want to see our people prosper. When we are competent and capable of performing the same task, we want to award them contracts rather than give it to foreigners. If we are unable to do it, we will invite others to help," he stated.

. Mr. Kudakwashe Maguta, chief of operations at Fossil Contracting, promised the country that high-quality services will be provided and stated that they will strive to meet the new deadline. He explained that the work they are conducting will involve widening and renovating the road all the way to Mapinga, but in stages, they will start at the Westgate roundabout. Minister Mhona announced that his ministry will meet with contractors to make sure they meet the Vice President's revised deadline.

"The most important thing is that we are doing this for the country's development, as the Vice President mentioned, and it is not just about the SADC summit," he stated. I am pleased that what you have witnessed today exemplifies the Second Republic's work ethic, which placed a strong focus on fulfilling goals and producing high-quality work, as well as the practice of hiring local businesses, under the sage direction of His Excellency Cde Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa.

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"I agree with the Vice President's deadline of June 30 for completion, and as a ministry, we are now striving to meet that goal. We will labor day and night, and we will meet with the contractors to make sure we meet this deadline. President Mnangangwa has emphasized the need to grow the economy since taking office in 2017. Along the way, he has put into practice concrete measures based on the slogan "Zimbabwe is open for business," which aims to draw foreign direct investment into the nation and propel the economy toward upper middle-class status by 2030.