Govt pays US$38m compensation to Mbudzi property owners

Freeman Razemba

Senior Reporter

THE Government has paid US$38 million in compensation to all the 51 property owners who were affected by the construction of the Mbudzi Interchange in Harare, paving the way for the completion of the multi-million-dollar project.

At least 51 industrial, commercial and residential properties had to be demolished to make way for the interchange.

The intersection, which replaces the old Mbudzi roundabout, has 15 bridges and bridge-like structures, plus the left-turn slip roads and will occupy far more land than the old inadequate traffic circle.

The Government followed the laid down procedure by bringing in three professional valuers, one of them from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, and the other two from the private sector, to carry out an assessment of the value of the properties being taken over.

The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development yesterday confirmed the developments, saying demolitions were now underway on some of the properties that were still standing.

Construction of the interchange is being carried out by Tefoma Construction, a consortium set up by Tensor Systems, Fossil Contracting and Masimba Construction.

So far, 13 of the 15 bridges needed for the Mbudzi Interchange are complete.

The design for the interchange is made up of 15 bridges, with 13 directly on the interchange, while two bridges are on Amalinda Drive and Harare Drive.

Previously, the intersection was managed by a roundabout, but increasing traffic volumes caused congestion, especially during morning and evening peak hours.

Yesterday, the Government opened to traffic the newly constructed Amalinda Bridge and a 1,6km stretch along Amalinda Road, a move which has been hailed by motorists and residents.

Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona, his deputy Joshua Sacco, Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport Infrastructural Development chairman Cde Knowledge Kaitano, Zinara board chairperson Dr George Manyaya, Zinara chief executive officer Mr Nkosinathi Ncube, Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe managing director Mr Munesu Munodawafa and other senior Government officials, were on the ground to open the bridge and the stretch.

In an interview, Minister Mhona confirmed that they had compensated all the property owners that had been affected.

“Another good element of being in a democratic society, and observing the rule of law, is that we cannot just take properties without compensating adequately. I want to thank again our great leader, Cde Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, who said we need to compensate fully those who are affected, those who are having their properties within the interchange.

“And I am happy that we have paid, as we speak, close to US$38 million in total, to all those who had properties, whether they were commercial, or residential. As we speak today, we don’t owe a single cent to those who are occupying and those who are owning properties within the interchange,” he said.

Minister Mhona said the conclusion of the payments paves way for work to resume.

“I am happy that this is also another reason we had to stall the project in terms of progress because we had to compensate fully before we got access to those properties. I am happy now we will soon be handing over access to the contractor to the areas that were remaining in terms of compensation, but surely it demonstrates that we have got a listening government, where if we take the property,

we compensate adequately,” he said.

Minister Mhona said from the interchange they were going to reconstruct other roads in Chitungwiza, Glen Norah, Glen View and Kuwadzana as well as the Kuwadzana roundabout.

Commenting on the Amalinda bridge, the Minister said it was going to create access and also reduce congestion.

“I am happy that today not only this particular bridge, but the accessibility, if you are looking at Northbound traffic, we are now ready to go through town, but they can now use this particular stretch of road, and we heard from the contractor that we are not going to end here, we are going to proceed right into the locations, which was also a plea by the citizenry, to say when are you coming to attend to our roads,” said Minister Mhona.

“And I have assured the citizenry that we are going to be working, especially to focus on those public service roads, where we are talking of the commuter buses, plying in different locations. So this is what we are strategising as a ministry, and to say at the end of the day, we need to make sure that no place and no one is left behind”.

Speaking at the same occasion, Cde Kaitano applauded the Government for ensuring that all roads were reconstructed for the benefit of the people.