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Following the launch of the Second Phase of the Emergency Roads Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP2) by President Mnangagwa on February 15, Government, through the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development has been working around the clock to rehabilitate the country’s roads. Our Political Editor Fungi Kwaramba (FK) caught up with the Minister of Transport Hon Felix Mhona (FM) to discuss these and other matters, below are excerpts of the interview.
FK: The President recently availed a US$34 billion kit for the rehabilitation of roads, how far have you gone in attending to the roads that have lately become death traps?
FM: The programme is gathering significant pace and most provinces have started registering progress.
So far, the following progress has been achieved nationally: 1 068km of gravel roads have been graded across all provinces with 23 drainage structures being repaired. 54km have been re-gravelled whilst 525km of verge, clearing have been achieved. Pothole patching has been done on a cumulative 590km of surfaced roads.
Most of the major works (Reseals & Rehabilitation of failed sections) are still at tendering stage. A total of 9,2km have been rehabilitated to date.
FK: What about the rehabilitation of the major roads?
FM: Surfacing works are in progress on 13,6km of the Chivi-Mhandamabwe-Tokwe Road in Masvingo Province. To date, 5km have been surfaced and opened to traffic. A further 8km have been primed and are ready for surfacing.
Karanda Bridge in Mashonaland Central is now completed and commissioned. The 17km from Nyakasikana to Karanda Hospital have now been graded and some sections have been spot-gravelled.
The new scope however includes road construction up to surfaced standard (tarred). Procurement of materials to complete the surfacing has started.
In Mashonaland East, Monte Casino Bridge is now completed and ready for commissioning. Again, additional scope has been added so that the 7km gravel road be upgraded to a surfaced road.
On the Karoi-Binga Road in Mashonaland West Province, a 10km section from Chivakanenyama to Zvipani has been completed to surfaced standard and is ready for commissioning. A further section has to be commenced on at the time of commissioning.
In Harare, 3,2km of Pangula Road (Chikurubi Prison Access) have now been completed and surfaced. Works in progress are currently confined to the lining of drains and attending to potholes within the perimeter of the prison yard.
The Contractor requests partial handover of the road so that it can be opened to traffic.
On Boshoff Drive, in Harare Metropolitan Province, 0,2km has been primed and are now ready for surfacing.
Earthworks have been completed on a further 0,7km and the section is now ready for priming. Pothole patching has been completed on a stretch of 5km.
In addition, CMED has been instructed to scope Masiyephambili Road in Bulawayo and the scoping process has been completed. CMED is in the process of costing the project to enable completion of the procurement process. Also in Bulawayo, 0,3km has been resealed on Fife Street in the CBD.
In Manicaland, the detour bypassing Mwarazi Shelvert has been completed and is now in use by motorists. Procurement of a Contractor for the restoration works is now complete.
Camp establishment is now in progress and works are set to commence on Wednesday 21 April 2021 and earmarked for completion in 60 days.
In the Midlands Province projects are being revised to reflect the priorities of the province. However, a cumulative 35km have been re-gravelled and 15km graded. Regravelling on a further 45km is in progress.
Procurement is in progress for the restoration works on the Musavezi Bridge along Shurugwi-Mandamabwe Road.
FK: Where are aware of the effects the rains have had on the country’s programme, is work back at full throttle in terms of road construction?
FM: The country received very good rains this year which is good for agriculture; however, this had an adverse impact on our roads resulting in wash-aways, gulley formations and major potholes on our roads.
The Ministry had to urgently attend to this disaster in a phased approach. The Ministry has been working on minor road maintenance works, however the rains have subsided and major construction and rehabilitation works are now taking shape with the majority of works still under tendering.
Currently, the major works which are already underway include Boshoff Drive, in Harare Metropolitan Province, 0,2km have been primed and are now ready for surfacing and 13,6km of the Chivi-Mhandamabwe-Tokwe Road in Masvingo Province.
FK: Towards vision 2030, what does infrastructure development play?
FM: The transport sector is an important component of the economy and a common tool used for development. This is even more so in a global economy where economic opportunities have been increasingly related to the mobility of people and freight, including information and communication technologies.
A relation between the quantity and quality of transport infrastructure and the level of economic development is apparent.
High-density transport infrastructure and highly connected networks are commonly associated with high levels of development.
When transport systems are efficient, they provide economic and social opportunities and benefits that result in positive multiplier effects such as better accessibility to markets, employment, and additional investments.
When transport systems are deficient in terms of capacity or reliability, they can have an economic cost such as reduced or missed opportunities and lower quality of life.
FK: What are some of the challenges you are facing? How have you coped with Covid-19?
FM: The Ministry’s major challenges that affect our meeting targets are that of Covid19 pandemic induced lockdowns have resulted in contractors and ministry staff down-sized and in some instances construction works being suspended.
Lack of adequate equipment for road construction by road authorities. The road authorities rely mostly on hiring the equipment from the private sector and CMED, of which the market is currently overwhelmed.
As you are aware that major construction works are underway on the Harare- Masvingo- Beitbridge road and the available equipment is currently concentrated there.
Core construction materials such as bituminous components are imported. The suppliers have challenges with securing foreign currency for importation and hence delays in delivery of such materials. However, the Ministry has since engaged treasury and RBZ to secure foreign currency.
FK: In terms of the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) revival, how far have you gone seeing that the rail network plays a key role in national development?
FM: NRZ is mandated by the Government of Zimbabwe (GoZ) to provide, operate and maintain an efficient system of public transportation of goods and passengers by rail.
In its quest to fulfil this mandate, NRZ provides transport services in the movement of bulk inputs for the industry as well as finished products from the manufacturing plants to various markets across all the productive sectors of the economy at a lower cost than road.
NRZ lost some core customers that underpinned its freight business.
The closure of such companies like Ziscosteel and the decline in production from companies such as Hwange Colliery and Zimasco, coupled with the general decline in industrial production in Zimbabwe has left NRZ to compete with road transport for the reduced cake.
This also goes in the availability of funding for projects.
Despite the difficulties faced so far and the state of decline of rail transport in Zimbabwe, since the colonial era, railways in Zimbabwe have great potential to support the economic and social development of the country. The economic growth of a country is always accompanied by increased market activity in terms of both private consumption (demand) and the production of goods (supply). The consequence of this is an increase in the exchange of goods and the mobility of people, increasing transport demand. The rail sector is expected to take on a new dimension, as in other regions of the world where the railway currently plays a much greater role where there are large distances of travel for both cargo and passenger rail transport.
FK: How much is needed for the full recapitalisation of NRZ?
FM: It is important to note that rail infrastructure is capital intensive. Full recapitalisation and rehabilitation of the rail sector would require at least US$430 million. It is the intention of Government to rehabilitate the rail sector. This, however, requires a plan that will see the NRZ in particular engaging investors or seeking investment towards specific priority areas that can be sustainable and the Government is in full support of various initiatives being pursued by NRZ.
FK: What steps have you taken in curbing corruption for instance in the procurement of licenses?
FM: As a starting point my Ministry is starting with the road transport sector. Corruption goes both ways; this is one of the reasons why Government continues to request the public to assist in the elimination of corruption. It is however important to note that Government took a bold initiative to introduce electronic systems in the management of the transport sector with a specific focus on road transport.
The aim is to enhance transparency and bring sanity to Government operations at VID operations, RMT and CVR. Government, through the Ministry, rolled out an Electronic Learner’s Licence Testing System (ELLT). This is part of a broader system, the Zimbabwe Integrated Transport Management Information System.
The purpose of the system, which was developed under the (ZIMTIS), is to enhance transparency and reduce human involvement in the issuance of drivers’ licences. Work has already started in various depots around the country to roll out the system. Pilot installations were done at Vehicle Inspection Department (VID) Eastlea, VID Chitungwiza and VID Bulawayo depots, and will continue to all 24 VID depots countrywide.
The system not only provides a complete and credible electronic database for all transactions, therefore, enabling audit trail to be achieved, but it captures biometric features such as photo capturing, fingerprints, signature, and eye testing.
The system will be integrated with the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol), and Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) for authentication and verification of documents at a convenient time. Key to this strategy is to remove human interface so as to curb corruption, improve customer convenient and transparency in the testing of learner drivers in line with global trends and best practices.
Online Reporter