EDITORIAL COMMENT: Councils must help rehabilitate country’s roads network Dr Joram Gumbo
Minister Joram Gumbo

Minister Joram Gumbo

Zimbabwe needs at least $5 billion to rehabilitate the country’s roads network yet the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) is mobilising less than $200 million a year.

Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Dr Joram Gumbo said the bulk of the money raised by Zinara was going  towards repaying the $206 million loan secured from the Development Bank of South Africa(DBSA) to fund the rehabilitation of the Plumtree-Mutare highaway.

What this therefore means is that local authorities should find other sources of rehabilitating the country’s roads network. Dr Gumbo said councils could enter into Private Public Partnerships to mobilise the required resources. He said councils could also engage financial institutions to assist with the resources for roads rehabilitation.

The country’s roads network has outlived its lifespan and as such the project to rehabilitate the roads network is urgent. Some of the accidents that have claimed thousands of lives on our roads have been blamed on the poor state of the roads.

Recently Members of Parliament expressed concern at the fast rate of deterioration of the country’s roads network which they blamed on increased volume of traffic.

The MPs said haulage trucks carrying heavy loads were damaging the roads and there was a need to control these   trucks. They proposed the introduction of legislation banning such trucks from using the country’s major highways.

The MPs said the heavy goods such as minerals should be transported by rail. Councils should prioritise the rehabilitation of the roads which are critical for the movement of goods and services. The country is expecting a bumper harvest this cropping season and farmers would need good roads to enable them to move their produce to the market.

The country’s thrust this year is to revive the manufacturing industries hence the many measures put in place by Government to attract both local and foreign investors. Industrial growth requires a robust roads network to enable fast movement of goods and services.

We want to once again urge councils to complement Government efforts to rehabilitate the country’s roads network by mobilising resources for road construction in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

 

You Might Also Like

Comments