Chronicle Editor
Isaac Waniwa, Managing Editor
We went, saw, analysed and made individual conclusions on the work so far done on the Harare-Beitbridge Highway.
There were varying comments from more than 30 journalists recently invited to the tour of the Highway by Zinara but all were, however, agreed that the amount of work done was beyond their expectations given the many false starts to the project when international contractors were engaged.
The Government fed up by the long wait, decided to engage local companies and six contractors are undertaking the work and have so far proved beyond doubt that they have the capacity to undertake work of such magnitude.
The tour of the 585 km highway kicked off at the interchange (Mbudzi Roundabout) in Harare where journalists leant that it was not a simple round about like those found in cities like Gweru and Kwekwe but a more complex interchange with several bridges hence its cost is being disputed in the social media.
Zinara, Ministry of Transport and District Development Fund officials as well as representatives of the different companies working on the highway appeared very enthused as they explained the work so far done.
They definitely had every reason to be excited because the 340km stretch of road now trafficable, has completely transformed travel on the busy highway.
Motorists, especially drivers of heavy trucks, said the reconstructed sections of the highway had greatly reduced the time they take to drive from Beitbridge to Harare.
Briefing journalists at a stopover in Masvingo town, permanent secretary for Transport and Infrastructural Development, Engineer Kudzanayi Chinyanga said initially the companies were allocated 15 km each and when they proved they had the capacity to undertake the work, the kms were increased.
He said the planned target for this year was 200km but this has since been revised upwards because of the pace at which the companies are undertaking the work.
“We are now confident that we will complete more than 340km this year given the rate at which the companies are working,” said Eng Chinyanga.
He said the Mbudzi Roundabout is not just a simple roundabout but an interchange with several bridges and five of them have already been completed. Eng Chinyanga said the target is to complete the interchange project by June next year.
During the tour, journalists had several stops along the way during which they were briefed on progress by representatives of the companies undertaking the work.
In Beitbridge, the team was taken on a tour of Beitbridge Border Post which is undergoing massive modernisation. The work, being implemented in three phases, is being undertaken by the Government in partnership with ZimBorders Consortium through a 17-year Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) arrangement.
Addressing the touring journalists in Beitbridge, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Cde Felix Mhona said the rebranded Zinara was now sticking to its mandate, which is collecting toll fees and disbursing the money to road authorities that include councils and the Ministry of Transport hence the massive road projects being implemented under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme 2(ERRP2).
Many of these projects have, however, been rubbished in the social media by peddlers of falsehoods who are publishing pictures from foreign lands showing collapsed and potholed roads purporting that they are the new roads being constructed under ERRP2.
It is because of this misinformation that one of the senior journalists had to seek clarity from Minister Mhona on the types of the roads his ministry is constructing.
“Cde Minister: Are these roads you are constructing macadamised or peanut butter roads?”
In his response, Minister Mhona assured journalists that the roads being constructed meet international standards hence they are very durable. He said his ministry was satisfied with the contracted companies’ quality of work and urged the media to counter the misinformation for the benefit of the major stakeholders who are the people of Zimbabwe.
Minister Mhona said in order to cushion the contracted companies, Government was now paying 50 percent of their money in foreign currency.
Online Reporter