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GOVERNMENT will soon hold investment indabas for the construction and rehabilitation of some of the country’s major roads as it moves towards commercialising farming communities in rural areas.
Speaking yesterday during the commissioning of the Mbembesi Bridge at the 50km peg along the Bulawayo -Nkayi Road, Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko said they were going to start with an indaba that is going to draw various stakeholders who have interests in the Bulawayo-Nkayi-Gokwe Road. The bridge was constructed at a cost of $3,2 million.
VP Mphoko said the completion of the Bulawayo-Nkayi Road had taken long without being rehabilitated hence the need for Government to take a lead in addressing the problem.
“It is quite pleasing that we are gathered here commissioning this bridge but we now have to think broadly in terms of finishing the entire road. We are not just talking of the Bulawayo-Nkayi Road but the entire stretch up to Gokwe.
What I will do is that we will call all stakeholders who have an interest in this road, ranging from the MPs of Bubi, Nkayi South, Nkayi North and Gokwe. We will also call mining companies, the over 35 bus operators, farmers and businesspeople along this route. If we do, I am sure that we will eventually complete this road which will also boost the economy of the communities along the road,” said VP Mphoko.
He said the country should not be seen continuously crying foul on the state of roads as the roads could fund themselves through the use of tollgates and also if the businesses relying on the roads contribute towards their rehabilitation.
“Tollgates are a means of raising funds plus a number of other schemes that can be used to raise funds and rehabilitate these roads. With the right attitude I can assure you that in the next five years we would have emerged from where we are today. I know that this road was originally being constructed by the government of Kuwait, who abruptly stopped after the land reform but just last week the ambassador of Kuwait paid a courtesy call to my office where this issue again came up and he assured me that they will reconsider investing in the project,” said the Vice-President.
Speaking during the same function, Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Dr Jorum Gumbo said the Mbembesi bridge project was part of a number of projects that his ministry was embarking on, focusing on a number of stand-alone bridges in the country.
“We are grateful to the Government who gave us the go ahead to collect the road access levy from all vehicles entering the country. This fund has enabled us to do projects such as this one. We also have other projects which we are focusing on including another bridge along this road which is Ingwigwizi which is at the 65 kilometre peg. These projects are all a critical part of ZimAsset as we seek to improve the livelihoods of the communities who rely on these bridges,” said Cde Gumbo.
Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs Minister Cde Cain Mathema said his wish was to commercialise the province and such projects enabled them to move towards this goal.
“We have to get rid of the colonial thinking of subsistence and instead refocus towards commercialisation. This province has a lot of potential and if Government really addresses the road problems that we have I am sure that commercialisation will not be just a far-fetched dream but will become a reality,” said Minister Mathema.
The widening of the Bulawayo-Nkayi Road started in 1998 funded by Kuwait under a concessional loan funding facility. The project’s scope of work was 65km with a total of five bridges on the stretch. Three bridges were completed; Khoce, Kenyane and Ncwata, and 43km of narrow mat road was widened. Government is now working at mobilising funds to complete the 5km road stretch up to Inyathi.The commissioning ceremony was also attended by vice-president of the chief’s council, Senator Chief Mtshana Khumalo.
Meanwhile, President Mugabe has tasked Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko to closely supervise Cabinet Ministers and Permanent Secretaries to ensure they deliver socio-economic transformation.
The top officials’ performance will be weighed on a results-based management system that carries penalties for non-performers. VP Mphoko exclusively told our Harare Bureau that Government was refining its systems to bridge policy formulation and implementation. He also spoke of how corruption — if left unchecked — would be the number one impediment to development, and interventions authorities are pursuing to stop graft.
The VP’s other roles include heading the National Healing and Reconciliation portfolio and supervising Zim-Asset’s Infrastructure and Utilities and Social Services and Poverty Eradication clusters.
Government wants to revive the economy largely through immediate investment, with employment-creation and natural resource beneficiation as primary targets. These objectives are underpinned by Zim-Asset and bolstered by the 10-Point Economic Growth Plan.
Uppermost on the policy list are human capital development, indigenisation and economic empowerment, social services and poverty eradication, infrastructure development, transport, employment-creation, access to land and agriculture development and natural resource exploitation.
Online Reporter