While the battered Bulawayo-Victoria Falls highway has become a nightmare for motorists with deep potholes and crumbling stretches slowing traffic to a crawl, some villagers along the route are quietly turning the chaos into an unlikely source of survival.
In areas such as Gwayi and Chimwale where haulage trucks ferry coal from Hwange to destinations including Harare, Bulawayo and beyond, spillage has become a common sight.
The poor state of the road forces trucks to jolt and sway, often spilling chunks of coal onto the roadside.
For many locals, this has opened up a demanding but vital economic opportunity.
On Wednesday, a CITE News crew observed groups of villagers, mostly women walking along the highway shoulders with sacks in hand, carefully picking up scattered coal pieces under the constant rumble of passing trucks.
“We know the road is dangerous but we have no choice,” said one villager as she knelt beside the roadside gathering fist-sized chunks of coal.
“This is what feeds our families now. If I spend the whole day here, I can at least sell enough to buy mealie-meal,” said the villager who only identify herself as Manyoni.
Another villager Zenzo Nyathi described the work as exhausting but necessary.
“It’s not easy. You bend the whole day lifting heavy stones of coal while watching out for trucks. Sometimes you go home with just half a sack. But even that makes a difference,” he said.
Another villager who preferred anonymity citing fears of being arrested, highlighted how organized the activity has become.
“We know the places with big potholes where trucks always spill. We even wake up early to get there before others. It is like a routine now, even though it’s tough.”
Filling a standard 50kg sack from roadside pickings is no small task. Villagers estimate it can take between 4 to 6 hours of continuous work, depending on availability and competition.
The process involves repeated bending, lifting and carrying under harsh conditions often alongside a busy and hazardous highway. The physical strain is significant especially for older women who make up a large portion of the pickers.
Despite the hardship, the trade is driven by steady demand.
In Bulawayo, coal is a sought-after commodity among informal vendors and households with small-scale traders reportedly selling it for about $1 per 5kg. This creates a modest but crucial income stream for those willing to endure the labor.
Truck drivers, however, have mixed feelings about the situation. One driver who identified himself as Mhofu expressed concern over both the losses and safety risks.
“The road is very bad. You try to avoid potholes but sometimes it is impossible and the load shifts. We are losing coal along the way which is not good for business. But what worries me more is the people walking so close to the trucks. It is very dangerous, one mistake and someone can get hurt,” said the driver.
The Bulawayo–Victoria Falls highway remains one of the busiest routes in the region with heavy trucks moving goods across long distances daily.
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