The Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) has urged mining companies to help fund and develop the country’s road network.
Speaking at the Suppliers, Energy and Infrastructure Symposium held on the sidelines of Mine Entra 2026 in Bulawayo last week, ZINARA chief executive Nkosinathi Ncube said rapid growth in the mining sector is putting increasing pressure on the transport network and pushing up maintenance costs.
He said closer cooperation between government and the mining industry was vital to ensure infrastructure keeps pace with demand.
“We need to partner—the mining industry and government—to develop new roads, new routes and maintain the existing roads. We need to do that faster than we have done before,” said Ncube. “We recommend that we work with you, whatever route you have, and we develop either a new route, maintain the existing one or expand the one that’s there with a view to unlocking the supply chain.”
Ncube said the increased movement of mining equipment and minerals by heavy commercial vehicles was speeding up the deterioration of major highways.
He urged mining companies to work with the Ministry of Transport on infrastructure projects, noting that several firms had already entered into road development partnerships with the Government.
Ncube said better transport infrastructure will improve mining operations while stimulating economic activity in communities along key corridors.
“The cost of developing, maintaining or rehabilitating a road in Zimbabwe ranges from US$500,000 to US$1.3 million per kilometre,” he said.
“It is a high-cost project but, once done properly and maintained through good partnerships, it benefits the industry and the country.”
Ncube said the country’s main freight corridors, including Beitbridge, Chirundu, Victoria Falls, Plumtree and Harare, should be prioritised for future public-private partnerships.
More: CITE
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