Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba-Senior Reporter
The Government has directed the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) to ensure that disbursements to road authorities are made timeously and transparently in the coming months.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Deputy Minister Joshua Sacco issued the directive while addressing senior Zinara officials at the road authority’s mid-year strategic review workshop held this week.
Deputy Minister Sacco also called on Zinara to intensify vehicle licensing campaigns and uphold high standards of governance and integrity.
“Government’s expectations for the next six months are clear. First, ensure that disbursements to road authorities are timely, impactful and transparently accounted for,” he said.
“Second, accelerate the licensing blitzes and compliance campaigns to meet the One Million target. Third, deepen the automation agenda, particularly the rollout of e-tag to commercial users and the general public.
“Fourth, continue capacitating your internal systems and teams to deliver efficiently, guided by IRBM (Integrated Results-Based Management) and performance contracting frameworks. And fifth, uphold the highest standards of governance and integrity in every decision and transaction.”
Deputy Minister Sacco said where targets have not been met, the reasons must be investigated; and where challenges persist, practical solutions must be designed.
“As the parent Ministry, we are encouraged by the progress made so far in 2025,” he said. “Notable achievements include the licensing of 827 000 vehicles in 2024 and the bold One Million campaign that is currently underway, aimed at improving compliance and boosting revenues.
“We commend the work being done by Zinara to expand and modernise tolling infrastructure across the country including ongoing works at Dema, Norton and Juru tollgates, and the plans to relocate some of the urban tollgates to better align with settlement growth and mobility patterns.”
He praised Zinara for embracing digital transformation, citing initiatives such as the introduction of the e-tag system, the integration of digital vehicle licensing platforms and the conversion of tollgates into licensing points.
“Equally praiseworthy is the deployment of three-tier power backup systems at tollgates to ensure uninterrupted collections,” he added.
“This shows a level of foresight and operational resilience that speaks to the maturity Zinara is steadily achieving.”
Deputy Minister Sacco also lauded Zinara’s decision to supplement financial disbursements with fuel for road authorities, saying this blended approach has received positive feedback from municipalities.
