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Business Editor
THE government will issue tenders for the dualisation of trunk roads in the country as part of measures to improve the transport infrastructure and reduce accidents, a Cabinet Minister has said. In an interview Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joram Gumbo acknowledged the dilapidated state of roads in the country, partly blamed for high incidents of carnage.

Given the limited fiscal space in the constrained economy, the minister said tendering the projects to interested private players was a viable option. “We’re in the process of coming up with a tender for people interested in dualising the Beitbridge-Victoria Falls Road. That’s the way to go,” said Minister Gumbo.

“I’ll be driving along this road to assess its status. We’re also doing the same for the Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu Road, and then we’ll be looking at Harare-Nyamapanda Road. Those are the trunk roads that we’re looking at for this moment.

“The other roads are in bad state and the reasons are known to everybody, I don’t want to be talking about that.” With the recent enactment of the Joint Ventures Act, Zimbabwe is ripe to implementing bulk infrastructure projects such as roads and rail through partnership with investors.

Through Infralink, a partnership between Zinara and Group Five of South Africa, the government has already set the tone through successful rehabilitation of Plumtree-Bulawayo-Harare-Mutare Highway at a cost of $206 million.

Minister Gumbo said his ministry was also working on sprucing up roads in urban centres through funding from the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara).

He, however, complained that some local authorities were not using the road fund for intended purposes.

“I’ve been driving in towns and would want the Ministry of Local Government to supervise local authorities. We give them money through Zinara and they must be patching up the roads and not use that money for salaries or other things,” said Minister Gumbo.

The minister also said rural local authorities were allocated funding from Zinara and have each been given a grader to maintain gravel roads.

He said the government would prioritise tarring of roads that add value to the economy, particularly trunk roads that link regionally.

“We must look at the value of that road in the economy and start with those that are valuable like the Beitbridge-Bulawayo-Vic-Falls Road, which should be dualised to attract tourists and for trade purposes,” he said.