daniel chigunwe
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
WHILE most roads fall under the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, local authorities, such as Harare, are responsible for rehabilitating their own roads, a Cabinet Minister has said.
After councils failed to rehabilitate roads, Government last year announced plans to rehabilitate and construct roads in major cities and towns that have been neglected by opposition-run local authorities for the past two decades.
Despite receiving funds from the Zimbabwe National Road Authority (ZINARA) and revenue from ratepayers, many local authorities have failed to deliver essential services, prompting Government to step in.
At least 40 major roads in and around Harare have been identified for rehabilitation, overseen by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development.
In an interview, the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Felix Mhona said city authorities are responsible not only for road rehabilitation, but also for ensuring proper street lighting and functional traffic signals at intersections.
“The Ministry of Transport has the Department of Roads, and it’s one of the road authorities, along with RIDA (Rural Infrastructure Development Agency) and local authorities,” he said. “All city roads fall under the purview of local authorities.”
Minister Mhona acknowledged the neglect by local authorities in fulfilling their mandates.
He said the ministry’s role is to ensure all communities receive the necessary infrastructure improvements, echoing President Mnangagwa’s vision for comprehensive road maintenance.
“We are coming to actually plug that hole, to make sure that there is no one and no place that is left behind,” Minister Mhona said.
He has tasked provincial road administrators to identify roads serviced by public transport to ensure they remain trafficable.
Online Reporter