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Minister Joram Gumbo

Auxilia Katongomara, Chronicle Reporter
THE Minister of Small, Medium and Cooperative Development Cde Sithembiso Nyoni last Friday said she endured an eight-hour long journey from Nkayi which is her constituency to Bulawayo due to bad roads.

Cde Nyoni said the journey normally takes about three hours.

She said she was forced to use a longer alternative route from Gwelutshena which is 210km from  Bulawayo because of bad roads.

Speaking during a Road Authorities meeting addressed by Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Dr Joram Gumbo in Bulawayo last Friday, Cde Nyoni said all the roads in Nkayi had been washed away by the rains.

“I want to thank Minister Gumbo who provided graders to regravel our roads last year, most roads were now trafficable but due to the rains there are no roads anymore. They have all been washed away by the rains.

The reason why I arrived late for the meeting is that it took me eight hours to get here from my constituency in Nkayi,” said Cde Nyoni.

She said travelling was a challenge due to the state of the roads.

“Cde Minister, the road is very, very bad. Buses are no longer using the normal route but are now using Kenilworth road which is 50 kilometres longer,” said Cde Nyoni.

She appealed to the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) to assist.

Nkayi Rural District Council, chief-executive officer Mr Zimbabwe Ndlovu said they were having a hard time due to the damaged roads.

“Buses from Bulawayo are now using Kenilworth Road rather than the Bulawayo-Nkayi Road, it’s not trafficable anymore.

The situation is very bad in all parts of Nkayi,” he said.

Last week, in an effort to repair bad roads, Zinara disbursed about $10 million to local authorities in Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South provinces for the construction and resurfacing of roads.

Matabeleland North received $5,2 million and Matabeleland South got $4,3 million for resealing, regravelling and road maintenance.

Nkayi RDC received $370 512 for road maintenance.

Nkayi-Lupane and Gwanda-Tuli roads were each allocated $700 000 for construction works.

— @AuxiliaK