Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve at Insuza
THE rehabilitation of the strategic Bulawayo-Victoria Falls highway is set to yield transformational benefits extending far beyond smoother tarmac, with contractors unveiling a comprehensive legacy plan for communities and the nation.
This emerged on Thursday during a media tour of the ongoing works, where executing companies, Fossil Contracting and Masimba Construction, detailed significant Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives and post-completion handovers.
In a boost for local employment, Fossil Contracting has engaged 130 employees, Syvern 140 on its sections, while Masimba has 70, with all firms confirming that over half of their workforce is drawn from local communities and 30 percent are women.
Masimba Construction Group CEO, Engineer Fungai Matawu, outlined a visionary post-project plan.
“As part of our CSR, we are drilling boreholes along our sections, with two already completed, prioritising schools. This is crucial support for this dry region,” he said.
He further revealed that upon completion, the contractor will hand over a fully-furnished road maintenance unit, complete with staff accommodation and ancillary facilities, to the Government to ensure the highway’s longevity.
Additionally, communities will benefit from designated detours built during construction.
He said the drums used for supplying raw materials will be repurposed into litter bins along the entire highway to combat littering.
The upgraded road, a critical tourism and trade artery, is designed to be a sustainable corridor of development, directly addressing water scarcity, local employment, environmental care, and long-term upkeep for the benefit of both Matabeleland North and the nation
