Bulawayo council to set up tar manufacturing plant

BULAWAYO City Council is in the process of sealing a partnership deal with a private firm to set up a batching plant in the city geared at rehabilitating the crumbling city road network.

Council deputy mayor, Mr Edwin Ndlovu told the Chronicle on Friday that city management has been tasked to work out modalities to procure the batching plant equipment.

“We are seeking partners to procure what is called a tar batching plant. Once we have the batching plant, as council we will be in a position to produce tar and rehabilitate our roads and even sell the product to other local authorities,” said Clr Ndlovu.

“We have given the mandate to our management to sit down with private players and work out modalities to procure the batching plant equipment.

This is based on a council resolution to include private players under private-public partnerships and Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) arrangements.

“What is key is the development of the city and we will ensure that is done,” said Ndlovu.

A recent council report states that 75 percent of the city roads are in deplorable state and an investment of US$700 million is required to improve the roads in the next 10 years.

To that end, the council is of the view that the procurement of the batching plant would significantly reduce the amount required to improve the road network as the city spends close to US$2 million for batching annually.

“The current 2024 budget has made provisions again for the purchase of the plant and supporting equipment and the Zimbabwe Road Authority (ZINARA) has been approached for the funding of the same,” reads part of the report.