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Raymond Jaravaza recently in Binga

CROSS Dete-Binga Road is set for major rehabilitation starting this month after two mining companies in Matabeleland North province have committed to partnering the Government to accelerate road works on critical areas.

The route is a key link between Binga and the rest of the country and is strategic for tourism business as well as commercial supplies.

However, due to incessant rains, the road has deteriorated as it is now filled with potholes, with some sections heavily damaged making it very difficult for traffic to negotiate.

Lithium investor, Kamativi Mining Company (KMC) which started operations from the old tin mine last year has already rehabilitated a 20km stretch of the road.

Muchesu Coal Mine, owned by a British investor – Contango Holdings, a strategic coal asset in Southern Africa with over 2,6 billion tonnes of coking and thermal coal, has also been roped in to assist in the rehabilitation of the road.

Matabeleland North Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Richard Moyo, on Friday met representatives of KMC and Muchesu Coal Mine together with Binga Rural District Council chief executive officer Mr Joshua Muzamba and provincial road engineers to workout how the road rehabilitation project could be expedited.

A damaged section of Cross Dete-Binga road. The road is set to undergo rehabilitation

Minister Moyo told Chronicle that the partnership between Government and mining companies was critical in rehabilitating the potholed road to ensure smooth flow of traffic.

“A resolution was made at the meeting with officials from Muchesu Coal Mine and Kamativi Mining Company, road engineers and the Binga RDC CEO that rehabilitating the Cross Dete-Binga Road is a priority project that should start as soon as possible,” said Minister Moyo.

He said the road engineers were tasked to find out the materials needed for pothole patching from Cross Dete to Binga and that information is supposed to be available in the next few days.

“In the past, Binga had no investors to talk about but all that has changed because of the leadership of President Mnangagwa which has brought in big mining companies to operate in Matabeleland North Province,” said Minister Moyo.

He said what is encouraging is that the mining companies understand how important it is to partner Government in implementing key projects such as rehabilitation of roads which they also use.

Minister Moyo said the pothole patching project will cover the whole of Cross Dete-Binga Road as the area received a lot of rains this year, which unfortunately caused significant damage to the road.

“Kamativi Mining Company has in the past rehabilitated a section of the road, which is still in a good state and we want to make sure that we rehabilitate the whole road up to Binga,” said Minister Moyo.

KMC has resurfaced a stretch from the Mine’s main gate to the Cross Dete-Binga road up to the roundabout.
The road that connects from the roundabout to the business centre has also been tarred, including the one that passes through the police station to Transmedia transmitters.

Another tarred section of the road leading to the community hall has been named after Chief Nekatambe as it falls under his jurisdiction.

Mr Albert Savanhu, a truck driver said the bad state of the road has made driving to Binga a nightmare.
“Unfortunately there is no other route that we can use from Hwange to Binga except the Cross Dete-Binga Road but driving on that road is now a nightmare,” he said.

“Some of the potholes are so big that even haulage trucks are forced off the tarred road onto the dusty side roads,” said Mr Savanhu.

Chronicle observed that the incessant rains received across the country, including Binga, have damaged roads and bridges making if difficult to reach places such as Tinde in Binga.

A small bridge which is about five kilometers from Tinde High School, was extensively damaged following heavy rains and motorists have to exercise extreme caution when navigating their way.

Local business owner Mr Patrick Chisulu said if some of the small bridges are not attended to, the area will be cut off from the rest of Binga.

“We now rely on two commuter omnibuses that travel to Cross Dete every day to buy stock for our shops. While we are happy that Binga received good rains this year, we are at the risk of being cut off from the rest of Binga if some of the bridges are not fixed,” Mr Chisilu.

Cross Dete-Binga Road is one of the major highways, which Government has identified as a critical road in need of urgent attention.