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BULAWAYO City Council needs $700 million to rehabilitate its road network, estimated to be 2 000km long.
Just to maintain it, the city needs at least $15m yearly.

These are really large sums of money which the city, and the Government, are struggling to raise. As a result, local roads, like others in other urban and rural councils across the country, are in a very poor state.

Some parts of the central business district have become no-go areas especially the northern zone after Fifth Avenue. Fort, Lobengula and Basch streets to the west are barely trafficable too. Roads linking the city centre and basically all suburbs are a nightmare, just driven on because motorists have no choice. The situation is worse in smaller roads running through suburbs.

That is why 70 percent of Bulawayo’s roads were long declared to have outlived their ideal lifespan and need a total overhaul.
We reported yesterday that the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) has set aside ZWG62 million for road rehabilitation in the city. That is about $2,3 million versus the $15 million needed for road maintenance yearly and $700 million for road rehabilitation citywide.

Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara)

The difference between the work that must be done and the means available is immense. However, we acknowledge that that is the reality. Without support from global funders such as the World Bank as a result of Western sanctions on our country, resources have, over the past 25 years, trailed demand.

Council, as we reported yesterday, will use the latest allocation to rehabilitate a section of Wellington Road, Murchison Road, Luveve 5 Roads, Fort Street between 1st Avenue and 6th Avenue, Maduma Drive, Luveve Road, Chinamano Street, and Caxton to Wingrove road.

The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development’s Department of Roads will rehabilitate a section of Matopos Road from 23rd Avenue to the city centre, Khami Road, Lobengula Street to Mpopoma Avenue, Steel Works Road from Lobengula Street to Nketa Drive, Fairbridge Way from Philips Drive to Cecil Road, and Lobengula Street from 1st Avenue to 6th Avenue.
We urge judicious resource utilisation so that the modest sum allocated effectively does the work that it must do.

We were happy to report that three local companies — Davis Granite, Neddicky Industries and Asphalt Products — have offered to adopt the intersection of Khami Road and Nketa Drive. They plan to rehabilitate the intersection and install traffic signs.
This is a plausible move by the three companies. It will be a good idea if they expand their role across the city. There are other construction firms and we implore them to get involved as well.

Greater public-private partnerships can contribute to a better road network in the city, with Zinara anchoring the drive.