By Persistance Nkomo
Pumula residents in Bulawayo have accused the city council of neglecting their roads, saying years of poor maintenance have left the suburb almost impassable.
Tempers flared at a community meeting this week as residents confronted officials from the Bulawayo City Council’s (BCC) road works department.
“We have tried to patch other roads with pit sand and grade some areas, prioritising the worst sections before the rainy season starts,” said Mr Msimanga, a council representative. “It is our wish that all roads are constructed, but the problem is that we do not have enough resources.”
His remarks sparked outrage, with residents claiming local companies had already offered support to ease the burden.
Michael Maseko, a resident, questioned why council was still complaining about resources.
“Haullin Quarry Mine donated fuel for trucks and graders, ZADA provided a driver and pit sand, while AgriGate Properties offered its grader. It stayed idle for weeks until it broke down, and then the company took it back. All this time, we were waiting for a driver from the city council,” he said.
Others accused council of shifting responsibility onto residents.
“We struggled to get help with the roads, which was supposed to be the councillor’s role,” said Zvenyika Moyo. “Instead, we had to seek assistance from other stakeholders.”
Another resident, Tenson Sibanda, went further, suggesting residents should be given pit sand to repair the roads themselves.
“I’m not sure how the engineer got here, maybe by parachute, because the road is unbearable. If resources are tight, just give us sand and we will patch the potholes ourselves,” he said.
Mr Msimanga defended that the council stating road levies collected by the Zimbabwe National Road Authority (ZINARA) are centralised before being allocated to local authorities, while rising equipment hire costs further strain available budgets.
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