Emmanuel Kafe
CheckPoint Desk
Trivia/ Fact Check
Zimbabwe is home to what is recognised by the Africa Records Institute (AFRI) as Africa’s longest uninterrupted straight stretch of road, an approximately 35-kilometre section of the A5 Highway between Chegutu and Kadoma in Mashonaland West.
The stretch, which forms part of the Harare-Bulawayo Highway, is remarkable for its unusually straight alignment, with virtually no bends along the route.
In a publication dated July 16, 2025, the World Records Union, under its Africa Records Institute series, identified the Chegutu-Kadoma section as the continent’s longest uninterrupted straight road, putting its length at approximately 35km.
The publication describes the stretch as having no bends and says its unusual design dates back to the colonial era.
It claims that the road was deliberately constructed to double as an emergency military runway, with its broad width and flat terrain making it suitable for aircraft landings and take-offs during military emergencies. The account adds another intriguing dimension to the road’s history, given its proximity to the former Suri Suri Air Force Base, now known as Jason Ziyaphapha Moyo Air Force Base.
This publication reported on February 7, 2025, that the military installation is located a few kilometres south of Chegutu town. The base remains an important Air Force of Zimbabwe installation.
While the World Records Union publication makes the claim, no independently accessible military document confirms that the road was formally designated as an emergency runway, or specifically intended as an alternative to Suri Suri Air Force Base in the event of an attack.
The road’s impressive straightness has also come with safety concerns.
A March 1, 2022 report by this publication revealed that Chegutu Rural District Council was completing construction of Brunswick Clinic along the Chegutu-Kadoma Highway to improve emergency medical services for accident victims. The report described the highway as a death trap, with at least one fatal road accident being recorded every two days at the time.
Are there other similar roads in Africa?
Other African countries have roads renowned for their length and straight stretches, although their measurements are not necessarily comparable to Zimbabwe’s claim.
In South Africa, the R355 between Ceres and Calvinia is described by travel and mapping organisation Tracks4Africa as the country’s longest uninterrupted gravel road, covering approximately 250km through the Karoo.
In a February 6, 2024 article, Tracks4Africa said the road runs more or less straight for long distances, with occasional bends and rises. Traveller Johan Heyneke, whose journey was documented in the article, observed that motorists could see the road stretching straight ahead for stretches of about 10km at a time.
While considerably longer than the Chegutu-Kadoma section, the R355 is a gravel route with occasional bends and therefore does not qualify as a directly comparable uninterrupted straight stretch.
For perspective, the longest straight road in the world is in Saudi Arabia.
According to Guinness World Records, a 240km section of Highway 10, running between the Haradh area and the west of Saudi Arabia, holds the global record for the longest straight road without bends or appreciable changes in gradient.
Zimbabwe’s Chegutu-Kadoma stretch may be considerably shorter, but its recognition by the Africa Records Institute places the country among the continent’s notable road-engineering landmarks.
Sources and attribution
• World Records Union – AFRI: A5 Chegutu-Kadoma, July 16, 2025. Primary source for the African record claim and the alleged military-runway history.
• The Herald – Clinic for high accident zone, March 1, 2022. Original Herald report, reproduced by Zimbabwe Situation.
• The Herald – Female Base Commander’s rise shows women can thrive, achieve dreams in AFZ, February 7, 2025. Confirms the base’s present name and location.
• Tracks4Africa – Driving South Africa’s longest gravel road, February 6, 2024. Supports the R355 comparison.
• Guinness World Records – Longest straight road. Confirms Saudi Arabia’s 240km global record.
• Fireforce Exposed, November 1979. Historical background document; it does not independently substantiate the Chegutu-Kadoma runway claim.
