Chronicle Editor
THE country’s road network has deteriorated greatly due to lack of finance to maintain and rehabilitate it and build new driveways.
This has coincided with the difficult economic situation triggered by Western sanctions. In many jurisdictions infrastructure such as roads is built through long-term financing, often coming from the World Bank and other major funders, mostly from Europe and the US.
But with Western sanctions in place, the country cannot secure any long-term support from the Bretton Woods institution and other lenders.
As a result of the punitive measures, the economy is struggling thus does not have enough resources to work on large scale road works on the scope and speed that meet demand. The result is a deteriorating road network, hence the Government’s declaration of it a state of disaster in February 2021.
Despite the challenges, the Government has been fighting to maintain and rehabilitate some roads and build new ones under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme Phase Two. Under this scheme, many roads are being rehabilitated and maintained, but this is only maintenance and rehabilitation. What had to be done given the poor state of the highways, was to totally scrap them and build paved ones in their place.
We recognise the work that is underway to rebuild the Beitbridge-Masvingo-Harare-Chirundu Road. That is a star project, not just considering its essentiality as the country’s busiest roadway but because it is being constructed by local companies through local resources.
However, due to limited funding as we have indicated, the Government is taking it one step at a time, one road at a time amid immense need elsewhere. Anyone who has driven on the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road will appreciate how untrickable that route has become. If resources were available both highways — Beitbridge-Masvingo-Harare-Chirundu and Bulawayo-Victoria Falls — should have been rebuilt simultaneously.
Therefore, when anyone approaches the Government with private finance and a proposal to build a road, we pay attention. That is exactly what Zwane Investments did recently.
It said it had mobilised US$150 million from an American investor for the construction of the 120km Bulawayo-Old Gwanda Road under a build, operate and transfer model. This will be a self-funding project in which the resource-constrained Government will not spend a cent with Zwane Investments recouping its investment through a tolling arrangement.
Authorities approved the proposal a few days ago as the latest edition of our sister paper, Sunday News reported. A feasibility study for the project was due to begin yesterday and construction of the project expected to be complete by December; super-fast.
A new road will mean a more navigable piece of infrastructure to stimulate business, create jobs and develop communities socio-economically.
The private-public project will save Government much money and the money that should have been used on it to be spent on other pressing obligations.
Zwane Investments chief executive officer Engineer Bekithemba Mbambo deserves the plaudits for taking up the challenge by the Government for the private sector to play a role in infrastructure development.
Umzingwane legislator, Cde Levi Mayihlome did a huge amount of work pitching the project in the House and promoting it at Government level until the thumbs up was given.
That is the development we want, development which lifts communities, which eases the pressure on public resources. It would be great if more companies across the country follow Zwane Investments’ lead to source funding to build infrastructure, not just roads but dams, schools, health facilities and so on.
Online Reporter