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Blessing Karubwa recently in Nkayi

CHIEFS in Nkayi District have expressed interest to engage with President Mnangagwa and seek his intervention towards speeding up the rehabilitation of Bulawayo-Nkayi Road.

Hervy machinery at work on the Bulawayo-Nkayi Road

This emerged during belated Independence Day celebrations at Sebhumane Primary School in Nkayi North recently. Motorists and the travelling public say the road project, which was started in 1993 and was supposed to be completed in 1999, has taken too long and its dilapidated state results in loss of life and damage to vehicles.

So far only a stretch of about 50km of the road has been widened and tarred over the years with the remainder of the road linking Turk Mine and the Inyathi area in Bubi District up to Nkayi Centre yet to be worked on.

Since the beginning of this month, engineers have been on-site as the Second Republic steps up efforts to complete outstanding major projects in Matabeleland North province.

In an interview, Chief Sikhobokhobo, one of the oldest serving traditional leaders in the area said they had engaged the Women Affairs, Community and Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister, Dr Sithembiso Nyoni, to forward their request for a meeting to President Mnangagwa.

omen Affairs, Community and Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister, Dr Sithembiso Nyoni

The chief said they intended to meet the President in the company of the vice-president of the Chiefs’ Council, Chief Mtshane Khumalo and Dr Nyoni.

Some members of the Chiefs’ Council following proceedings at a meeting with the President at StateHhouse in Bulawayo 

“We have spoken to the minister and she is the one who is going to lead the process. We now want the road to be constructed at any time of the day.

“Our trust is now in the President,” said Chief Sikhobokhobo.

He said the bad state of the road also affects Gokwe villagers who use Mbuma Hospital in Nkayi district.

“There are a number of heavy-duty trucks coming to give us food and it would be sad when they also give up as they have already started complaining about the road, which damages their vehicles,” said the chief.

“The truth is that the road is now bad. In terms of businesses, we are now getting everything from Bulawayo but the road is not conducive.

Should this problem persist, life would not be good for the Nkayi people,” said the chief.-@BlehKarubwa