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Minister Joram Gumbo

Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Midlands Correspondent
THE Government has released $14.5 million for the repair of infrastructure like roads and clinics damaged by tropical storm Dineo induced rains.

In an interview after touring Mberengwa, Transport and Infrastructure Development Deputy Minister Engineer Michael Madanha said the Government had come up with an action plan for the repair of damaged infrastructure.

The plan would be implemented in three phases.

Under the first phase, the Government is targeting rehabilitating damaged roads, bridges and other infrastructure and treasury has availed $14.5 million.

Eng Madanha said the repairing of roads, clinics and bridges would be completed by end of April.

“As the Government we’ve come up with an action plan for infrastructural rehabilitation which has got three phases. We’ve the first phase which we call the emergence phase where we’re going to repair roads, clinics and bridges destroyed by heavy rains.

“This also involves road sealing, filling of potholes and reconstruction of washed away bridge approaches. $14.5 million has been availed by the Government for this phase. We’re looking forward to completing the rehabilitation in April. Of this amount, Midlands Province, which is among the provinces that were most affected, was allocated $2.5 million,” he said.

Eng Madanha said his ministry together with Ministries of Finance and Local Government, Public Works and National Housing were mobilising resources for the rehabilitation of infrastructure in general which will precede the emergence phase.  He said the country required  more than $100 million for the rehabilitation of infrastructure.

“The second phase will include protective work where we will be protecting the roads and the bridges from future damage. The last phase will involve the complete road rehabilitation. We’ve a committee made up of, the Ministries of Finance and Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, which was set up to mobilise resources and our target is $100 million,” said Eng Madanha.

Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister, Dr Joram Gumbo, recently said his ministry had set up a committee, which is working on sourcing funds to repair all roads which are in a bad state.

“We’re now getting some money which is being mobilised through UNDP and other agencies; and through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, working together with the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC),” said Dr Gumbo. “We’ve given ourselves a timetable to say there are some areas that need urgent attention, like washed away bridges and some roads which are not passable. We need to work on those roads within 30 days and others within 130 and 180 days and at most to have completed those roads within six months.”

He said the situation was worse in rural areas.

“We are addressing that situation right now and the damage caused by tropical storm Dineo will be a blessing in disguise for places like Binga. Ordinarily, we would not have been able to get funds to quickly move, assist or rehabilitate those roads,” he said