Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Zimpapers Writer
WORK on the Bulawayo–Victoria Falls Road has gathered pace, with villagers welcoming new job opportunities and motorists expressing excitement over the long-awaited rehabilitation of the critical highway.
Out of the five reputable contractors hired by the Government — Fossil Contracting, Masimba Holdings, Syvern Investments, Bitumen Resources and Tensor Systems — two have already intensified work on their stretches, bringing visible progress on the ground. Each contractor has been allocated 51km of the stretch.
When a Zimpapers crew toured the road last Thursday, Fossil Contracting had already ripped up sections near the 30km peg while Syvern Investments had completed 5km of tarring from the 103km mark. Heavy trucks, graders and water bowsers could be seen in full operation.
In separate interviews, motorists said the progress was encouraging and commended the Government for implementing the project.
“They say good things come to those who wait. Soon we’ll be cruising on a smooth road instead of dusty detours. This road will be one of the best in the country once complete,” said Mr Besnart Dube, a motorist.
Villagers along the route also expressed joy, not just at the improved road but at being employed during construction.
“Several locals were employed and we are so excited that our own youths are now working. The recruitment was fair and transparent and only locals were considered,” said Ms Auxillia Khumalo of Benisi.
“Those interested in the jobs were then made to pick from inside the container. If one picked a Yes, they were automatically taken aboard. After taking casual workers, they then asked those with any special skills such as having a driver’s licence, cookery or any other relevant qualification to forward them.”
Umguza Ward 11 councillor Tapson Moyo confirmed that villagers had secured jobs with Fossil Contracting, although he raised concerns about Masimba Holdings allegedly side-lining locals. He said he would engage the company directly.
“I have three Class Two driver’s licence holders who came to me complaining that when they went to look for employment, they were told that the company was bringing in its own drivers. On Monday (tomorrow), I will be visiting their offices to verify the authenticity of these claims,” said Clr Moyo.
Asked to respond to the allegations, Masimba Holdings’ site engineer, Gift Hodzi, denied the reports that they were side-lining locals before referring this reporter to the company secretary, Ms Pearl Mutiti.
Ms Mutiti had not responded to emailed questions at the time of going to print.
The Bulawayo–Victoria Falls Road is one of Zimbabwe’s most strategic highways. It links Bulawayo with Victoria Falls — the country’s prime tourism hub — and forms part of the regional north–south corridor connecting Zimbabwe to Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Botswana and Namibia. The road is also critical for the movement of coal from Hwange, agricultural produce from Matabeleland North and goods destined for the ports of southern Africa.
However, years of neglect left the road in a deplorable state, with potholes, narrow lanes and eroded shoulders posing dangers to motorists and discouraging investment in tourism and trade.
Tourism operators and transporters have long lobbied the Government for urgent rehabilitation, describing the highway as “the lifeline of Matabeleland North’s economy.”
The rehabilitation is part of the Government’s broader drive to modernise the national road network, which also includes ongoing works on the Harare–Beitbridge Highway, Harare–Chirundu Road and Kwekwe–Gokwe Road.
The projects are anchored under the Second Republic’s commitment to infrastructure-led economic growth and to ensuring that Zimbabwe’s transport corridors meet international standards.
The Bulawayo–Victoria Falls Road rehabilitation is expected to take about 10 months, with work being done in a kilometre-by-kilometre approach to minimise disruption. For villagers, the project has already created jobs in line with the Government directive for contractors to prioritise local labour to create employment in the surrounding communities
For motorists, it promises safer, faster and more enjoyable journeys to the country’s leading tourism destination.
