Nkayi South legislator, Stars Mathe has implored the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development to speed up the road repairs for the Bulawayo-Nkayi road as the process is taking longer than expected.
The 158km road stretching from Bulawayo to Nkayi Centre has been in a deplorable state for decades with the government dithering on the much needed rehabilitation.
The rehabilitation of the road resumed after the release of US$1.5 million by Treasury to facilitate the project.
The project facilitated by the ongoing Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) was spearheaded by Government through the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara), an initiative meant to rehabilitate the country’s road network that had been extensively damaged.
The major facelift began from the 44km peg where the last works were done in 2011 stretching to Mbembesi Bridge.
Mathe said the road repairs are being done at a gradual pace which is a cause of concern for locals and motorists who use the road.
“It worries me that this road is not being attended to timeously. I have observed with sadness the slow pace at which repairs of the Nkayi-Bulawayo road are being done. They spend the whole day without doing any meaningful work,” said Mathe.
She said the slow road repair works have led to the destruction of motor vehicles and has led to road accidents.
“You leave them at one place, pass by and find them at the same place on your return irrespective of the fact that motorists who traverse along that road have their vehicles damaged on a daily basis and are at times involved in accidents,” said Mathe.
Construction of the Bulawayo-Nkayi Road began in 1993 and was supposed to be completed by 1999 and this has been at the centre of debate over the structural underdevelopment of Matabeleland.
Some of the targeted roads for repair in Matabeleland include provincial roads such as Gwanda-Maphisa, Maphisa-Mpoengs, Gwanda-Guyu-Manama-Tuli, Ingwingwisi Bridge, Dete-Binga and Binga-Karoi road.
this road issue( Nkayi to Bulawayo) has taken too long to complete… 27 years! it will be like the Zambezi Water Project. It is lack of will power from the government. They see no need for it to be completed. I urge the Nkayi MP Hon .Stars Mathe to keep probing and making the right noises until something is done. This project needs to be completed. maMathe, nansi indaba, ungatshedi kuze kulunge .