Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo
KUSILE Rural District Council has earmarked Masinyane, St Luke’s, and Cross Jotsholo as potential sites for the development of truck stops, in a move aimed at curbing reckless parking by haulage truck drivers along the busy Bulawayo-Victoria Falls highway.
Motorists have raised concerns over the growing number of trucks parked along the shoulders of the highway, particularly around St Luke’s, Cross Jotsholo, and Gwayi, a situation that poses a serious risk to other road users. Additional concerns have also been raised regarding incidents of drug and substance abuse reportedly taking place near these stationary vehicles.
In an interview, Kusile RDC Chief Executive Officer, Mr Sifiso Hadebe, confirmed that land has been identified for the proposed truck stop developments, with progress already underway at some sites.
“At St Luke’s, we have engaged the Ken Maur-Dabuka Co-operative who have identified land to set up a truck stop. While there were leadership challenges within the cooperative before, these have since been resolved, and the land is now available,” he said.
Mr Hadebe said that the council had encouraged the co-operative to seek donor funding for the development of the facility.
“We have also identified land at Cross Jotsholo and are considering another site at Masinyane. Unfortunately, we do not have jurisdiction over Gwayi as it is State land,” he said.
He emphasised that the local authority is committed to ensuring the safety of motorists by removing haulage trucks from the main highway.
“Once these truck stops are established, we will enforce a ban on highway parking within our jurisdiction. We are currently drafting by-laws to ensure compliance by truck drivers,” said Mr Hadebe.
Meanwhile, Mr Hadebe noted that Kusile RDC has not encountered significant issues with night vending within its jurisdiction, although the council supports the Government’s directive to regulate the activity.
“Our vendors operate during normal hours at St Luke’s, Gwayi, Cross Jotsholo and Gomoza. We haven’t had problems with night vending, except for occasional cases at Gomoza during cattle sales,” he said.
His comments come after a recent directive by the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Daniel Garwe, instructing local authorities to clamp down on night vending due to the associated health and security risks.
“Our Constitution has no provisions for night vending. We have observed various ills such as drug and substance abuse tied to night trading,” said Minister Garwe.
He noted that most local authorities lack proper sanitary infrastructure for night vending, leading to the use of undesignated open areas as toilets, a practice posing serious public health concerns.
Minister Garwe urged local authorities to work with law enforcement agencies, including the police, to ensure that vendors are removed from undesignated areas and that all trading is conducted in a legal and orderly manner.
