Kwekwe–Nkayi Road rehabilitation resumes, sparks economic hope

THE reconstruction of the Kwekwe-Silobela-Nkayi Road is set to resume this month, bringing hope to motorists, residents and businesses from Silobela and Nkayi.

The project aims to tar over 50km of the road, which will significantly improve transportation and boost economic opportunities in the area.

Over the weekend, stakeholders from Silobela held a meeting aimed at complementing the Government’s efforts in the rehabilitation of the important road.

Silobela Constituency legislator, Cde Jonah Nyevera, expressed optimism that the road’s rehabilitation would have a positive impact on the local economy as a conduit for accessing Bulawayo via Nkayi as well as linking Harare via Kwekwe.

“Allow me to categorically and concretely announce good news that Kwekwe-Nkayi Road reconstruction is resuming this month by firstly creating detours from the Kwekwe side. By 27 April, you will be seeing this important exercise coming to fruition,” he said.

“This brings me to the fact that the development trajectory is a process, not an event. Therefore, by the end of the year, we anticipate that plus 30km will be tarred and this will be a positive development for the people of Silobela.”

Cde Nyevera said the road is expected to boost regional connectivity and unlock the area’s economic potential while improving access to healthcare, education, and markets for Silobela residents.

“Properly position yourselves in establishing various business ventures along this road. When the road has been completed, it will reduce the distance to Victoria Falls by 200km. Therefore, this means there will be more business along the route, so kindly take charge of your destiny,” he said.

Cde Nyevera commended businesspeople and companies operating in the area who have been pouring resources just to make sure that vehicles could pass, especially during the rainy season.

“I thank our esteemed stakeholders who have been making this road trafficable for quite some time. Special mention goes to Mr Muchineripi, who has been maintaining the road from Collusion to Kwekwe since 2025, and also Jena Mines, who dumped stones on the problematic pools just after Parker Business Centre in 2025 and regraded the portion,” he said.

“The road has been solid since then, and even the incessant rains of the 2025-2026 rain season failed to damage that portion of the road; it was a job well done. If I can recall very well, the works cost money to the tune of more than US$27 000, so they did exceptionally well on social corporate responsibility.”

Cde Nyevera said the 2025-2026 excessive rainfall posed serious challenges to road users.

“Technically, roads could not be regraded when it was raining, because we could have worsened the situation. For instance, a portion between Mutshuku and Muchape was done, and it rained heavily, resulting in some buses and vehicles having a torrid time navigating the short distance,” he explained.

Cde Nyevera commended White Copper Mine, Zibagwe Rural District Council (ZRDC), and Jena Mines for participating in the project.

“Those who have used the road of late would concur with me that the road is now good, and travel time to Kwekwe has been significantly reduced. ZRDC provided the grader and a tipper truck; White Copper provided two tipper trucks. As your MP, I provided two tipper trucks and a loader; and Jena Mines provided fuel, technical manpower, and a second grader during this vital exercise of ensuring the road is user-friendly for motorists,” he said.

Kwekwe District Development Coordinator, Mr Fortune Mupungu, said the rehabilitation of the Kwekwe-Silobela-Nkayi road is expected to have a positive impact on the local economy, improving access to markets, services, and resources for the community.

“The rehabilitation road is a significant development for the Silobela community, who have long suffered due to the poor state of the road. The road’s condition had made it difficult for farmers to transport their produce to markets, affecting their livelihoods,” he said.