Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo and Rutendo Nyeve, Zimpapers Reporters
THE Government has entered into a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with an indigenous road contractor for the comprehensive rehabilitation of the vital 240km Lupane–Nkayi–Kwekwe Road, which is scheduled to be fully tarred by 2029.
The contractor will deploy two dedicated teams in Midlands and Matabeleland North provinces next year to accelerate construction.
Although the full financial details of the partnership are still being finalised, the contractor, Road Trackers, confirmed that upon completion, two tollgates and weighbridges will be installed along the route as part of cost-recovery measures.
The development was announced during an appreciation tour of ongoing road works in Matabeleland North on Friday.
Project Manager, Engineer Brighton Vundla, briefing members of the media, expressed confidence in meeting the project’s five-year contractual timeline.
Engineer Vundla said that the works involve 160km of virgin earth road, while the 80km stretch from Nkayi towards Kwekwe, which is currently tarred, requires complete reconstruction.
“We are hard at work. The scope of work is the 240km stretch from Lupane to Kwekwe. Our contract is a five-year deal, which means by 2029 we ought to have met those requirements. We are on site, as you can see,” said Engineer Vundla.
He further elaborated on the technical stages and immediate progress.
“On the progress part of it, currently we are starting with the one that is a thoroughfare. So far, we have done about 15km of road, which is at subgrade level. Once completed, this road will cut the distance from Harare to Victoria Falls by close to 200km, an economically viable reduction. A lot of business is also happening in Hwange town; beyond coal, we have steel, a major economic enabler,” he said.
Crucially, Engineer Vundla outlined the strategy for rapid progress in the coming year.
“On milestones, we are expecting to do on this project, it is in two provinces, namely Midlands and Matabeleland North. We expect to do 30km also as of next year, then on the Midlands side, we are putting another team again, which is going to do 30km. In total, it will be 60km set for next year,” he said.
Engineer Vundla reiterated the rationale behind the planned tolling infrastructure.
“On the 240km road, we are putting two tollgates and weighbridges because the issue is we want to safeguard this infrastructure,” he said.
Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Engineer Joy Makumbe, praised the partnership for its emphasis on local empowerment.
“This is a local contractor, 100 percent Zimbabwean. That is what also gives us joy and pleasure in the ministry. We are capacitating our own people, our own engineers. They now have the capacity to do the roads in Zimbabwe and they appreciate the terrain; they know the people, so they can do these works well,” she said.
Meanwhile, during the same tour, Matabeleland North Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Richard Moyo, urged the Ministry of Transport to prioritise the rehabilitation of the badly damaged Bulawayo–Tsholotsho Road next year.
Minister Moyo highlighted that the 104km road’s poor state has diverted traffic, including public service vehicles, to the Solusi route, adversely affecting businesses and communities along the original road.
“We appreciate the work that is being done at the Bulawayo–Nkayi Road, where two contractors have been deployed. Great work is happening there and we want to thank President Mnangagwa for that. We want to say to the transport ministry, make rehabilitation of the Bulawayo–Tsholotsho Road your top road project in Matabeleland North next year,” he said.
This PPP initiative is firmly guided by the “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” mantra under the Second Republic, led by President Mnangagwa, which has spurred increased private sector participation in national infrastructure projects.
The partnership operates within a clear policy framework designed to safeguard national interests and ensure value for money, as prescribed under the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) Act and the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act. This framework outlines various PPP categories, including Public-Private Partnerships for Infrastructure Development for projects like roads and railways, where the asset remains with the Government, with revenue-sharing arrangements set at a minimum of 30 percent for the State.
The Lupane–Nkayi–Kwekwe Road project falls under this category, marking a pivotal step in upgrading the national road network through strategic collaboration between the Government and local private enterprise.
