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Yoliswa Dube-Moyo, Matabeleland South Bureau Chief

Various critical roads in Matabeleland South province have been rehabilitated under the extended Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme Phase 2 (ERRP2). 

Government launched the ERRP 2 programme to rehabilitate roads that had been heavily damaged by rains in the past season.

The programme has rescued most local authorities as they had been failing to effectively rehabilitate roads.

The reconstruction of roads is an economic enabler and a driver towards the attainment of the Government’s Vision to achieve an upper middle-income economy by 2030. 

The Mbembeswana-Marinoha Road in Matobo District was rehabilitated through the District Development Fund (DDF), building on the momentum which started last year to upgrade key infrastructure.

DDF Matabeleland South provincial coordinator Mr Moment Malandu said the target of rehabilitating 62 kilometres of the road which was set last year was completed.

“We graded 32 kilometres and gravelled 30 kilometres of the road.

We’re now working on rehabilitating the remaining 10 kilometres of the road.

We’re also working on several other road projects in Matabeleland South province with some of them already completed,” said Mr Malandu.

He said DDF graders are currently in Insiza District working on various roads.

“We’ve graded the Montrose-Phaphama-Virginia 51-kilometre stretch in Insiza District.

We have also done the Ekusileni nine-kilometre stretch, Mahole six-kilometre stretch and 30 kilometres of the Phambuka-Gwatemba Road,” said Mr Malandu.

 “In Bulilima District, work has been done to rehabilitate 37 kilometres of Bhilingoma Road and we’re now doing the Moza-Ntoli-Phakama Road.

We also completed the Moza-Tokwana Road which is 11 kilometres.

In Mangwe, we have completed the rehabilitation of the Sanzukwe-Majongwana Road which is eight kilometres.”

He highlighted that various roads in Umzingwane and Gwanda districts had also been rehabilitated under ERRP 2.

“Irisvale Road in Umzingwane District which is 32 kilometres was also rehabilitated.

All these roads are under the ERRP 2 programme initiated by the Government,” said Mr Malandu.

The ERRP 2 was scheduled to run from March to December 2021 and was focused on repairing some 26 000 km of the road network and reconstructing drains before the next rainy season. 

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration, part of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, has taken over 500km of roads from the country’s urban councils. – @Yolisswa