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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Reporter

THE Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) has this year increased the allocation of road funds with rural district councils in Matabeleland North set to get about $600 million for road works in seven districts in the province.

Last year, Zinara allocated a total of $264,5 million to the seven rural district councils. This year, the money was increased to $598,7 million for road rehabilitation and maintenance works under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP).

In total, Zinara will disburse $93 billion to road authorities in the first quarter of the year as the Second Republic continues to walk the talk in terms of infrastructural development in line with Vision 2030.

Kusile Rural District Council, which was allocated $42 978 846 last year, will this year get $105 561 376,40.

The council’s chief executive officer Mr Sifiso Hadebe said the money will be channelled towards outstanding projects such as the Ndimimbili-Lusulu Road bush clearing, culverts construction, and grading of a 22km stretch.

“We will also work on the Ngombane-Zinapi Road culverts construction and repairs, spot gravelling and grading of the 5km stretch. There will be works on the Mzola 27-Thokozani Road where we will regravel it, do culvert construction as well as grading. This is over and above the periodic maintenance of our roads,” he said.

A culvert is a tunnel carrying a stream under a road or railway, which may act as a bridge for traffic to pass on it. 

Bubi Rural District Council chief executive officer, Dr Patson Mlilo said from the allocated $105 million, they will rehabilitate nearly 200km of their road network. 

Last year, Bubi RDC got $33,7 million from Zinara. Dr Mlilo said they are going to rehabilitate four roads; Enaleni, Waterfalls, Fries as well as Majiji Kokolombeni.

“We will also do bush clearing, spot gravelling formation and fix drains. In terms of maintenance, roads such as Mbembesi, Litshe, Mary Ellen and Old Hunter will be our top priority,” he said.

Binga RDC’s allocation leaped from $46,7 million in 2022 to $140,1 million. 

The local authority’s engineer Zibusiso Nyoni said some of the road works that they intend to embark on include the gravelling of Nsungwale Road.

“We will construct culverts and do 4km spot gravelling along Nsungwale Road. We also intend to do a kilometre of drain lining at Siambembe medium density suburb as well as construction of vented ford at Manyanda-Malaliya Road,” he said 

Hwange RDC chief executive officer, Mr Phindile Ncube said this year, they were allocated $129,3 million for road rehabilitation and maintenance.

The Government continues to make significant progress under the second phase ERRP as part of intensified efforts to improve the country’s road network. 

Other key infrastructure projects receiving close Government attention include construction of dams, schools, hospitals, clinics and other key public infrastructure that includes courts of law and administration structures.

Under the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), the Government committed to infrastructure development, supported by the private sector.

The NDS1 is the Government’s five-year economic management master plan through to the year 2025, which has a strong focus on building, expanding and restoring infrastructure. 

Through the strategy, the Government is targeting to increase the road network that meets the Southern Africa Transport and Communications Commission (SATCC) standards from five percent to 10 percent and to increase the number of kilometres of road network in good condition from 14 702km to 24500km by 2025. 

According to NDS1, for the national rail system, the target under the five-year development plan is to increase the proportion of track meeting set standards (Track Quality Index) from 57 percent in 2020 to 68 percent by 2025.

Presenting their brief 2022 road rehabilitation and maintenance report this week, Zinara said as part of the due diligence process, road authorities are required to review all their contracts with some authorities yet to finish the process by the end of 2022.

Zinara also took a swipe at some local authorities over poor quality workmanship on some road rehabilitation projects across the country and red flagged overcommitting or signing of contracts that are way above resources allocated.

“Going forward, Zinara urged the road authorities to budget within their allocations and ensure timely acquittals of disbursed funds. This is prudently important in terms of value preservation of their allocated funds,” reads part of the report. – @skhumoyo2000.