Government says rehabilitation of the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road is expected to accelerate after contractors resume full-scale operations following a slowdown in work.
The 440km road is being rehabilitated under a public-private partnership (PPP), with eight contractors each awarded a section of about 51km.
The announcement comes amid concern over the deteriorating condition of the road, particularly with the rainy season approaching.
Senator Mupande raised the issue in the Senate, saying motorists were struggling because of the poor state of the road and questioning why work had slowed despite earlier progress.
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“We celebrated when we realised that there was work that started in Bulawayo, Victoria Falls but as of now, there is a standstill. We now suffer on our backs because the road is so bad. We expect the rains any time from now, yet there is no work that is being done on that road. I want to hear from the Minister,” Sen Mupande said.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona acknowledged that work had slowed but said contractors had not abandoned the project.
“Let me thank Hon. Sen. Mupande for that very emotional question and indeed, it is a countrywide talk about Bulawayo Victoria Falls Road,” Mhona said.
He said the road was being rehabilitated as part of the broader Beitbridge-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls corridor under a PPP arrangement.
“If you remember very well, we started on that road from Beitbridge to Bulawayo, Bulawayo to Victoria Falls on a triple P arrangement which we are still pursuing. It was found that it is imperative to address the concerns of that road,” he said.
Mhona said eight contractors had been engaged, with each responsible for about 51km.
“Eight contractors were awarded in terms of the tender. Each contractor has about a 50-kilometre stretch, to be precise, 51 kilometres. We resumed work mid last year and we continued in the beginning of this year; we have done about 57 or so. In the last two weeks, we have opened 14 kilometres,” he said.
He said the rehabilitation would focus on damaged sections rather than reconstructing the entire road.
“The way we are going to be attending now is to attend to damaged sections. The type of model that we have adopted is not like we are reconstructing through the entire road network but we are doing what we call chip and spray, where you find that it will move much faster than what we are doing at Raleigh Bay Bridge,” Mhona said.
The minister attributed the slowdown to contractors working at a reduced pace rather than fully demobilising from the project.
“I want to assure again Hon. Mupande, that yes indeed, the project had stalled, not necessarily that the contractors demobilised, but they were on a go-slow, to be precise,” he said.
Mhona said some contractors had resumed work and all eight were expected to be fully mobilised within two weeks.
“Some contractors have resumed but in the next fortnight, you will see that all the eight contractors will be fully mobilised against the issues to do with funding,” he said.
He said inadequate funding remained a major challenge, with allocations in the national budget insufficient to complete the rehabilitation.
“Mr. President, in most jurisdictions when you pose questions to us as ministers, you must take us to account to what you have given us as the august House, to say we gave you money for this road, why are you not rehabilitating the road?” Mhona said.
“But, you find that in most cases, we go beyond that to think outside the box so that we fund, besides what you give us in this august House; if you go to the Blue Book and see what was allocated, it is not even enough to rehabilitate that road.”
Mhona said the government was exploring alternative ways of mobilising resources to finance road rehabilitation.
“This is another reason again, why we need to continue thinking about how we can mobilise funding. I am happy that now we have a solution and you see that section is going to be covered,” he said.
The minister said the government was also seeking private sector participation to improve the Cross Dete-Binga and Binga-Karoi roads.
“We are also looking closely at the road from Cross Dete to Binga, Hon. Mupande. So, it is no longer going to be that road only; it will be Cross Dete to Binga and from Binga to Karoi where we are inviting the private sector so that they participate in that entire road network,” Mhona said.
He assured motorists that work on the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road would soon accelerate.
“These are some of the initiatives that we are doing, but yes, I do agree the project is sold. You will be very happy very soon where we have accelerated mobilisation again,” he said.
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