Online Reporter
Freedom Mupanedemo
Midlands Bureau
Gweru City Council has commissioned US$1,5 million worth of municipal plant and equipment-funded entirely from its own revenue-to bolster road repairs, refuse collection and other critical public services across the city.
The newly acquired fleet comprises an excavator, two graders, a water bowser, a road marking machine, a double-drum vibratory roller, a vibratory plate compactor, a jumping jack compactor, two rotary mower slashers, a skip bin, two fire engines, four Gwenhoro low-lift electric motors, two 75-horsepower tractors and a utility vehicle.
Officiating at the commissioning ceremony, Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Owen Ncube hailed the investment as evidence of the Government’s commitment to strengthening local authorities under the devolution programme.
He said the event bore testimony to the Second Republic’s strategic policy direction, anchored by President Mnangagwa’s “No Compromise to Service Delivery” blueprint, which sets clear performance benchmarks for councils as vital sub-national governance structures.
“I commend Gweru City Council for its resourcefulness and prioritisation of procuring key plant and equipment using its own revenue,” Minister Ncube said.
“This will ensure a comprehensive road rehabilitation programme, including filling potholes across our network.”
Guided by the New Dispensation philosophy Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo—which holds that Gweru should be built by its residents, investors, and the council itself—the Minister urged residents and corporates to pay their bills promptly.
He also called on the council to uphold transparency, good corporate governance, and diligent contract management, adding that public concerns should be addressed through the Citizen Engagement Score Card recently launched by the President.
The Minister acknowledged several completed infrastructure projects, including the resurfacing and maintenance of Chidanana Road and overlay works on Sixth Street.
He also noted visible beautification efforts, renovations at Town House, and the installation of additional pumps at Gwenhoro Water Treatment Works—all of which align with the Second Republic’s innovation, modernisation, and industrialisation agenda under NDS 2 pillars.
However, he challenged the council to accelerate urban road resurfacing, improve road markings, and tackle potholes at the Mvuma Roundabout and in high-density suburbs including Ascot, Mtapa, Mkoba, Senga, and Woodlands. Beyond roads.
He said the new equipment should help address persistent challenges such as dry taps, uncollected garbage, dilapidated buildings, non-functional traffic lights, street lighting shortages, and inadequate vending sites and public toilets.
“These are part of a broad transformative socio-economic development agenda that leaves no one and no place behind,” Minister Ncube said.
He urged Gweru to emulate the Second Republic’s signature infrastructure projects—including state-of-the-art roads, power generation plants, model schools, mini-hospitals, and public-private partnerships in waste management, smart metering, and SME market development to grow the local GDP. He also noted that modernisation of Mtapa Market is underway.
Gweru Mayor, Councillor Martin Chivhoko, said the acquisition would improve service provision. “This is expected to enhance service delivery across the city,” he said.
The commissioning comes as the local authority advances broader infrastructure projects under the Second Republic, including road upgrades, power generation initiatives, model schools, mini-hospitals, and public-private partnerships in waste management and smart metering, all aimed at stimulating local economic growth.
