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Oliver Kazunga Acting Business Editor
THE government and the private sector yesterday launched a $75,000 pothole patching project in Bulawayo to improve the state of roads in the Central Business District (CBD).

The initiative is part of a national pothole patching project that the government, Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara), local authorities and Bitumen World, among other private sector players have jointly embarked on.

The national pothole patching project, which is the first of its kind, was launched in Harare a few days ago.

Zinara board chairman Albert Mugabe said Bitumen World would be patching potholes in Bulawayo’s CBD for a month.

“As government, Zinara, local authorities and the private sector we’ve embarked on a joint national pothole patching project, the first of its kind in the country. The pothole patching project we’re launching in Bulawayo today is part of the national initiative as we attempt to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the motoring public. For the whole month, the patching will be done in Bulawayo CBD,” he said.

“We’ll also bring in other players to do various parts of the province.”

Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Martin Moyo said upon completing patching the CBD, it was their hope that the exercise would be taken to the suburbs.

Speaking at the same occasion, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Obert Mpofu said if resources permit, the project would soon be taken to other cities and towns.

“We’ll be moving to other cities if funds are permitting. We’ll be approaching all our city fathers in urban centres consulting them about urban tolling to do our roads. This isn’t a popular decision but we’ve to do it in order to raise funds to rehabilitate our roads in urban centres,” he said.

The government has prioritised rehabilitation of roads as part of enhancing infrastructural development, which is key to economic development.

Against this background, the government has contracted a South Africa-based roads engineering company, Group Five, to rehabilitate Zimbabwe’s major roads that include the Plumtree–Bulawayo- Harare-Mutare highway.