Following widespread damage caused by heavy rains, the government is intensifying efforts to rehabilitate roads across the country, with Bulawayo set to receive substantial infrastructure support.
Responding to questions in the National Assembly recently, Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Felix Mhona, said several key road networks, particularly in remote districts, had deteriorated due to incessant rains, prompting urgent interventions under government programmes.
The update came after Binga South legislator Fanuel Cumanzala raised concerns over the rehabilitation of major routes in his constituency, including the Karoi–Binga, Binga Centre–Cross Dete, and Lusulo-bound roads.
Minister Mhona said works were already underway to upgrade sections of the 192-kilometre Karoi–Binga Road, of which 130km remains gravel.
He noted that the road is a critical inter-provincial link connecting Mashonaland West, Midlands, and Matabeleland North, and serves as the shortest route from Harare to Victoria Falls.
“The Karoi–Binga–Cross Dete road has been earmarked for rehabilitation under a Public Private Partnership arrangement, and the investor’s expression of interest is currently under consideration,” Mhona said.
He added that ongoing efforts in Binga include repairing damaged road structures along the Kariangwe–Lusulo and Gwai–Lusulo routes, while long-term rehabilitation plans will depend on funding availability.
In Gokwe, the Ministry is working on several roads under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme Phase 2 (ERRP2), including the Nembudziya–Tshoda and Nembudziya–Sanyati Mine roads, which require re-gravelling and structural upgrades due to poor conditions.
While rural roads remain a priority, urban centres are also receiving attention. Bulawayo is set to benefit from enhanced road maintenance initiatives aimed at improving city infrastructure.
Minister Mhona told legislators that the Ministry had recently engaged the cities of Harare and Bulawayo to strengthen maintenance strategies, with tangible progress already recorded.
“Bulawayo is set to receive the second asphalt plant, which will produce premix to be used by both the Department of Roads and the local authority in maintaining roads,” he said.
This development is expected to significantly boost the city’s capacity to repair potholes and rehabilitate damaged roads, particularly following the recent heavy rains. The Bulawayo City Council has also procured additional road maintenance equipment through the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA), in line with government efforts to capacitate local authorities.
Minister Mhona said that the Ministry will continue routine maintenance work, including pothole patching and re-gravelling, while mobilising resources for full-scale rehabilitation projects nationwide.