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Leonard Ncube, [email protected]

GOVERNMENT has set up a one-stop-shop to house all key stakeholders to expedite the finalisation of the concession agreement leading to the commencement of massive rehabilitation of the Beitbridge-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Highway.

While regular spot pothole patching is ongoing to make the 900km road trafficable ahead of a major upgrade, the Government has already awarded the tender to Bitumen World as it moves in to ensure the rehabilitation of the strategic route is implemented timeously for the benefit of the economy.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the Africa Road Maintenance Funds Association Southern Africa Focal Group (ARMFA-ASAFG) meeting in Victoria Falls yesterday, Transport and Infrastructural Development Permanent Secretary, Engineer Joy Makumbe, said the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) has been executing its mandate to maintain the country’s road network despite limited resources.

She said major road projects were being funded using internal resources from Zinara and the Treasury to ensure roads are trafficable.

“Some few weeks back, Cabinet approved that the rehabilitation of the road from Beitbridge to Bulawayo and Victoria Falls be awarded to Bitumen World. Following that Cabinet decision, what we did as a ministry is that the paperwork now kicks in where the contractor now has to submit a project proposal, which is a draft concession to show how the work is going to be done, how it is going to be funded and benefits for Government,” said Eng Makumbe.

“That paperwork already has started and what we have also done to make sure we expedite the process is that instead of papers moving from one office to the other, we have decided to have a one-stop-shop where we have all stakeholders under one roof.”
She said key stakeholders include Government agencies and departments such as the Zimbabwe Infrastructure Development Agency, Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion; Ministry of Transport, contractors, and financiers.

Workers from the Government’s road works department patching up potholes along the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road recently. (Picture by Nkosizile Ndlovu)

These have been put under one roof as the Government implements a “Whole of Government” and private sector partnership approach. Eng Makumbe said the decision is meant to ensure that all inquiries are attended to and addressed under one roof.
“This is so that we have all stakeholders asking questions that they have so that we minimise the time it takes for us to finally have a concession that is signed and contractor moving on site,” she said.

“In the interim, we are having the road patched before we can put surface overlay on it and our provincial teams are on the ground to patch. Our target is to have all paperwork in place this side of the year, such that when we begin the new year the contractor should just begin the year running so that the project commences,” she said.

Hwange Vic Falls road works

The Second Republic under President Mnangagwa has made significant progress in infrastructure development, particularly in improving the road network with the Beitbridge-Masvingo-Harare-Chirundu Highway being a good example.
Several other projects are underway countrywide with local authorities, Zinara, and the Transport Ministry implementing various projects.

President Mnangagwa declared the state of road infrastructure in the country a state of emergency following heavy and destructive rains in the last two years.

Through the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme, the Second Republic has been rehabilitating the country’s road network in line with Vision 2030.
Under the Infrastructure, Utilities, and Digital Economy cluster, Zimbabwe’s economic blueprint, the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) prioritises the completion of road rehabilitation projects. The Beitbridge-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Highway is a strategic trade route on the regional north-to-south corridor, linking Zimbabwe with South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia as well as the DRC.

A bigger part of the road stretch has over the years deteriorated to appalling levels resulting in several fatal accidents, as driving has become a nightmare due to endless potholes.

Pothole patching along Byo-Vic Falls road (off beat)

Bitumen World set up an Asphalt Plant in Gwayi last year and the site still has the equipment. Haulage trucks, mainly from the coal mining areas in the Hwange district, have been largely blamed for the rapid deterioration of the road. Legislators have in the past called for the implementation of a resolution stipulating that 15 percent of minerals or cargo from mining houses be transferred to the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ).

Eng Makumbe said collaboration and capacitation of road funds is key, adding that Governments depend on them when it comes to infrastructure maintenance.