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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Reporter
THE Government has hailed Umguza Rural District Council’s road rehabilitation programme under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Program 2 which was launched in 2021 following the Government’s declaration of the country’s roads as a state of national disaster on February 9 last year.

The Government budgeted $33,6 billion for the second phase and the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) disbursed $2,3 billion as the Government intensified efforts to rehabilitate the country’s road network.

This followed a public outcry on the state of the country’s roads that were badly damaged by heavy rains and the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa responded to the outcry.

THE Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara)

Despite the release of funds, some local authorities like the Bulawayo City Council which has a road network of 2 700km failed to utilise the $625 million allocated by treasury. Of the $217 million initially disbursed, BCC only used $21 million.

Umguza RDC has fully utilised its allocation  from Zinara and has covered a lot of ground  on its 600km road network.

The once-neglected 18km Condone road linking Bulawayo-Victoria Falls and Bulawayo-Tsholotsho roads is set to be completed in the next two weeks, according to the council engineer, Engineer Queen Masotsha.

Briefing an Emergency Road Rehabilitation Program 2 Provincial Technical Committee (PTC) led by the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet responsible for DDF Mr Christopher Shumba last week, Ms Masotsha said they were doing spot gravelling and drain clearing on the road which is used by resettled farmers as well as A1 farmers.

“Umguza has covered quite some ground although it has some outstanding roads that need to be covered because we don’t want to leave any community behind, neither do we want to leave anyone behind as the President has always said,” said Mr Shumba.

He said Government will not hesitate to rally behind authorities like Umguza RDC.

“We will always rally behind those whom we are seeing on the ground, we have seen machinery busy here and this is what Government always encourages,” said Mr Shumba. Ms Masotsha, however, said they were facing challenges when it comes to fuel costs.

Fuel

“We purchased 3 000 litres at a cost of $500 but that has since been exhausted. Our intention as council is to work on 150km road stretch per year, which means to cover all our roads, we need about four years,” said Ms Masotsha one of two female engineers in the region.

Mr Shumba and his team that included the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) chief executive officer Clever Ruswa, acting DDF director Engineer Goodwill Mapako as well as Zinara officials were on a tour of road authorities in Bulawayo and Matabeleland North provinces to check on the progress and maintenance works under the ERRP2 programme launched by the Second Republic last year.