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Andile Tshuma, Chronicle Reporter
UMZINGWANE Rural District Council (RDC) has completed a seven kilometre road project running from Esigodini centre to Falcon College at a cost of nearly $600 000 – the first phase of a project to link Esigodini and Harare Road.

Umzingwane RDC Engineer Thokozani Gama said it was the first phase of a road that will connect Esigodini and Harare road.

He said the first phase of the project was done at a cost of $568 000 and the rehabilitated road is the main road that links most villages to Esigodini District Hospital and the business centre. Eng Gama said part of the RDC’s vision was to decongest Bulawayo and bring activity to Esigodini through having a highway that links the Bulawayo-Gwanda Road and Harare Road.

“With a good linking road, a lot of activity will come to the area which will eventually grow the economy. This will boost economic activity within the highway and in our area. We may have truck inns and lodges for drivers to rest on the way to the capital city. This will help in reducing some accidents as traffic is expected to be reduced significantly in Bulawayo’s CBD. This will bring a lot of development to our area and we are really looking forward to it,” said Engineer Gama.

The road serves communities of Ntabenende, Zimbili, Godlwayo and Glengary and other areas surrounding Falcon College.

Eng Gama said the project took two months to complete and was well within the time frame.

He said the contractor, Asphalt products, was yet to receive the last batch of its payment from the $568 000 project.

“We have rehabilitated this road in a bid to maintain our tarred infrastructure. We chose to rehabilitate this one as we saw it necessary to maintain infrastructure that is already there before expanding and working on new projects,” said Eng Gama.

Umzingwane RDC CEO Mr Ndumiso Mpofu said the project would go a long way in developing Umzingwane.

“Due to mining activities, Umzingwane is growing and Esigodini particularly, is developing. We need such development so that we can attract investors to our area.
Funds permitting, more projects are coming up soon in a bid to fast track the development of the area,” he said.

“We are focusing on face-lifting the area so that it is at par with modern standards. We may not achieve it overnight however, it is our goal to change the face of the area and we have a number of projects lined up for our schools, housing and health sector.” – @andile_tshuma