The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has commissioned road construction and maintenance equipment worth more than US$1m, in a move aimed at strengthening its ability to rehabilitate the city’s deteriorating road network using in-house teams.
Speaking at the ceremony on Friday, Mayor David Coltart described the development as a milestone in restoring the city’s roads.
“Very few things give me as much pleasure as events like this,” he said.
The equipment was purchased using Bulawayo’s 2025 allocation of ZiG33m from the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA). It includes a backhoe loader, soil compactor, grader and pneumatic roller — Caterpillar machines valued at about US$912,875 — as well as four New Holland tractors worth US$93,600 bought using council funds.
Coltart said the acquisition would allow the city’s Works Department to reduce dependence on third-party contractors and focus on full-scale road reconstruction.
“We all know driving our roads what a shocking condition they are in,” he said. “It costs approximately US$15m just to maintain our existing road network, and that assumes it has already been maintained. Many of our roads can no longer simply be maintained — they have to be rebuilt.”
He added that the machinery was suited to reconstruction rather than pothole patching.
“The nature of the equipment enables the council to completely reconstruct roads, and that is what we need to do,” he said.
The mayor also encouraged residents to work with council in maintaining roads, saying some communities had already organised local efforts to assist with pothole repairs under the supervision of the Works Department.
Coltart commended the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development for rehabilitation works on major routes, including Matopos Road and the road to Kezi, following engagements with Transport Minister Felix Mhona.
He welcomed government plans to establish an asphalt production plant in Bulawayo after the commissioning of a similar facility at Skyline, saying it would help reduce the cost of road construction materials.
ZINARA engineer Enock Masotsha said the initiative reflected a shift towards strengthening the operational capacity of road authorities.
“We are aware that Bulawayo City Council requires in excess of US$15m per year to maintain its road network. That money may not be available in the shortest possible future,” he said. “But using this approach, where we procure equipment, we might end up using less than that amount annually.”
He said over the next five years ZINARA would prioritise equipping road authorities across the country to enhance in-house capacity.
“Our focus is clear, to allow a Bulawayo City Council which can do all the works that they want to do in-house as opposed to hiring,” said Eng Masotsha.
Sales consultant Emanuel Magurei of Barloworld Zimbabwe, which supplied the machinery, said the partnership extended beyond delivery.
“Reliable equipment is the backbone of effective public works,” he said. “We remain committed to providing technical support, operator training and robust after-sales service to ensure optimal performance and long-term value.”
In remarks delivered on her behalf by ministry director Boitswarelo Noko, the Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs linked the commissioning to national economic targets under the National Development Strategy 2.
“The commissioning of this equipment speaks to laying the foundation necessary to transform Bulawayo into a smart and sustainable city,” she said, adding that it demonstrated accountability in the use of public funds.