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Minister Joram Gumbo

Auxilia Katongomara, Chronicle Reporter
THE State Roads Emergency Rehabilitation Programme which started in March is progressing well after Government released $14,5 million in emergency funding.

A special Cabinet committee was set up and tasked with mobilising the required $100 million to cover all areas where roads were damaged by heavy rains.

Responding to a question in Parliament on Wednesday, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister, Dr Joram Gumbo, said some roads have already been rehabilitated.

“Mr Speaker Sir, since the declaration of state of disaster on our roads in February 2017, the Government mobilised $14,5 million which was readily disbursed to the Department of Roads for the State Roads Emergency Rehabilitation Programme which commenced on the 13th of March 2017,” said Dr Gumbo.

“Repair work on urban roads is continuing, with good progress in the major routes around Harare and work commencing in other urban areas. Pothole patching has been the main focus.”

In Bulawayo, Dr Gumbo said some of the roads that have been rehabilitated include Khami Road, Nketa Drive and Steelworks Road as well as Fife Street.

Dr Gumbo said funding has also been released to the District Development Fund (DDF) and Rural District Councils (RDCs) and considerable repair work has been done.

In Matabeleland North, Dr Gumbo said some of the completed projects are the Gobi-Lusulu-Sibombela road involving piped drift and culvert repairs; Lethe road, where a damaged culvert was repaired as well as the Rest Camp-Majiji road where a collapsed culvert was fixed.

Other completed projects in the same province are Nkayi-Tshalalisa road where damaged culverts and drift were repaired and Nkunzi-Guswini road where backfilling of gullies and drift repairs was also completed.

“These are some of the projects that have been completed with the money that was allocated to us, the $14,5 million that the honourable member wanted to know about. The works are continuing and we are now on phase 2 of the project. So, most of the roads are going to be attended to,” said Dr Gumbo.

The Minister said in Matabeleland South, five road projects had been completed: the Old Machuchuti-Tuli road, Kumbudzi-Mtshabezi Kafusi-Mapate roads, bridge repairs as well as grading works on the Sontala-Mbembeswana and Makado-Malusungane roads.

On the Old Gwanda road, backfilling of wash-aways was completed.

In the Midlands province, Dr Gumbo said the Chimbandi-Chireya, Manot-Mbungu road, Donga-Pakame, Python-Donsa, Mkoba-Dimbamiwa were rehabilitated while on the Siboza-Pakame road repairs on the Nyagambu bridge were completed.

—@AuxiliaK