The rehabilitation of the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road has stalled, with no construction vehicles on site, raising concerns over Government neglect of the key route that leads to the country’s prime tourist destination.
Lupane East MP Siphathisiwe Machangu (ZANU PF) raised the issue in the National Assembly while demanding answers from Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona.
“The road that I am referring to is the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road. Nothing is happening on that road now,” she said.
“You travel from Bulawayo to Lupane, and there is not a single construction vehicle.
“You proceed from Lupane to Jotsholo, and there is not a single construction vehicle there.
“Further towards Hwange, there is complete abandonment.”
In his response, Mhona conceded that the project had stalled but said construction will resume in August.
“We have a 440km road from Bulawayo to Victoria Falls. Initially, we had a PPP arrangement in place that was covering the road, which is almost 750km if you are coming from Beitbridge,” said Mhona.
“However, because the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road was in a sorry state, we then had to say, whilst we are working on the bigger project, we need to address sections that are in a sorry state.”
“We engaged eight contractors, where each contractor has about 50km. If you see the way we have done it on that particular road, some detours are divorced from the main road so that if you go through that detour, you might not see what is happening along the sections.
“For a number of those, two and a half weeks ago, we recently opened about 9km. People who are using those roads can vouch for that.
“We are saying the 9km; we had to redirect traffic. What we are doing now, as I indicated, this is one of the stalled projects that I was talking about.
Mhona said the US$150 million allocated to the Ministry by Treasury for road rehabilitation across the country was inadequate.
“We find that in this august House, if I can take it closer to home, in this particular year, you gave us the equivalent of US$150 million to do our roads throughout the entire country,” he said.
“You are the owners of the place, this august House. You gave us 150 million, and if we just apply it to that road, it is inadequate.
“So, it therefore calls for the Ministry to think outside the box so that we also raise additional funding.
“That is why we are also advocating for other funding models where we were talking of PPP arrangements and loan facilities.
“I am happy that this is one of the roads that we have earmarked and now we have funding to continue the works.
“So, I want to say to Hon. Machangu, yes, watch the space and as we move towards August, you will see massive rehabilitation again.
“Those contractors will be mobilised again to their various sections. This is something that I say yes to.
“I do concur that the project was stalled, but you will see an accelerated pace going forward.”
-ZiFM Stereo-
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