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As it promised, the Government has started a countrywide rehabilitation of roads, including many that should have been worked on by local authorities.

In February, Government declared all roads across the country a state of disaster in order to facilitate the release of funds for their maintenance and rehabilitation on emergency basis.

Shortly after that, President Mnangagwa launched the US$400 million Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP).

As we report elsewhere today, the Bulawayo leg of the emergency road works started on April 14 and is now in full swing after the Government allocated the city $625 million for the rehabilitation of its estimated 2 460km of road.

The Central Mechanical Equipment Department (CMED) is hard at work rehabilitating one of Bulawayo’s busiest roads, Siyepambili Drive from Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road turn-off to the Bulawayo-Plumtree Road in Belmont, various sections along 4th Avenue and 8th Avenue, Fife, Samuel Parirenyatwa, Lobengula and Herbert Chitepo streets and Matopos road.

Bulawayo City Council spokesperson, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu said the first phase of road rehabilitation should end by July 16.

“Once completed these works will prolong the life of the carriageway, improve road safety and ride quality. The works will be carried out in phases and will involve resurfacing works, reinstating carriageway markings, rehabilitation of street lights and other general maintenance works,” she said.

Mrs Mpofu added that council got more money from the Zimbabwe National Road Administration. That money is being used to reconstruct and reseal 6,5 km along Siyepambili Drive between Luveve Road-Victoria Falls Road and 5,4km on the Matopos road along 23rd Avenue.

According to the targets for this year, 840km of roads across the country will be rehabilitated and reconstructed, while 8 340km will be re-gravelled with 17 093km of road network set to be regraded.

Furthermore, the Government will reseal 1 290km of roads, reconstruct 427 drainage structures and work on 24 830km of erosion works and drains across the country.

The start of the first phase of the ERRP is yet another delivery by the Second Republic which has been meeting its promises since it assumed office in November 2017.

Roads countrywide had deteriorated not only because of long periods of neglect especially by local authorities but also because of the heavy rains received over this year’s rainy season. Most of them had become barely trafficable which means that many vehicles got damaged driving along the poor roads, some accidents occurred and many places were rendered inaccessible.

Councils such as Bulawayo and Harare had for long periods paid lip service to service delivery, including road works. No one expected them to really work on their roads this time.

Indeed, some of the damaged roads fall under central Government.

To ensure that the roads are trafficable, the Government has intervened, results of which are beginning to show in Bulawayo.

It is good that the Government has fulfilled yet another promise with the launch of phase one of the ERRP. We want that phase to be done and done expeditiously and effectively so that the next phases can start and end before the onset of rains later this year.

It is however important for the Government and local authorities to work out plans for bigger road construction works so that the country has more durable and a wider network of roads. We are encouraged by the great work that is being done on the Beitbridge-Masvingo-Harare-Chirundu highway.

That major highway is being widened and rehabilitated using local resources and expertise.

We urge the Government to continue on that path while continuing to court international investors and co-operating partners including the World Bank to build roads and other infrastructure.