Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
BULAWAYO has been allocated more than $1,6 billion by the Government for the rehabilitation of the city’s roads since the launch of the Emergence Road Rehabilitation Programme 2 (ERRP 2) last year.
However, the metropolitan province has only been able to utilise just a fraction of the fund.
The Government launched ERRP 2 after it had noted that most of the country’s roads had been damaged by the rains in 2021.
Under the programme roads are being resealed, regravelled and regraded while potholes are also being filled. So far, $22 billion has been disbursed towards the road rehabilitation programme.
The Government released funds to all the road authorities countrywide to rehabilitate roads that had become untrafficable and in some instances, a death trap.
The rehabilitation of the roads gathered momentum for the better part of 2021 with significant roads such Siyephambili Drive, 23rd Avenue and George Avenue among the roads being rehabilitated in Bulawayo.
In its latest council minutes, Bulawayo City Council (BCC) said the challenging economic situation affected the implementation of the ERRP 2.
“The 2022 budget allocations for the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development and BCC were $695 million and $338 232 413,70 respectively bringing the total allocation for the Bulawayo Metropolitan province to $1 033 232 413.80,” reads the council minutes.
The local authority was allocated $625 million in 2021 to improve the city’s road network, but was only able to utilise 35 percent of the allocated fund.
Failure to utilise the funds resulted in Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Judith Ncube in May lashing out at the local authority for not utilising the released funds.
In the council report, the local authority said exchange rate fluctuation among other challenges had a bearing on the implementation of the road rehabilitation project.
“The following challenges and constraints were faced by the city for in-house teams and outsourced works: Contracts signed with a provision that contractors would get advance payment, delay in payment to contractors resulted in contractors pulling out and abandoning sites,” reads the report.
The report stated that the company that was contracted to provide premix for the whole southern region struggled to meet demand. Premix is a critical material in the road rehabilitation programme.
The local authority said some suppliers demanded upfront payment in violation of the Procurement Act.
BCC said accessing fuel was another major challenge and stated that whenever it was available, it was sold above the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority stipulated prices.
“Delays in getting foreign currency allocation from Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to procure bituminous materials and diesel for the works was another challenge that stalled the implementation of the ERRP 2 programme,” reads BCC’s report.
The council said all the works have been put on hold due to delayed payments or application for increased costs.
According to the report, Town Clerk Mr Christopher Dube said council could not pay some of the contractors that abandoned work.
“Contractors had expected an advance payment but Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) had advised that there was no advance payment.
The contracts awarded were never completed and the council could not produce a certificate of payment,” he said.
Mr Dube said it was against this background that the council decided to defer the projects.
— @nqotshili
Online Reporter