Online Reporter
Raymond Jaravaza, [email protected]
AS Government accelerates road rehabilitation projects across the country to spur economic and investment growth, motorists have appealed for urgent upgrading of the Bulawayo-Nyamandlovu-Tsholotsho Road, which is now in a bad state.
The 140-kilometre route has deteriorated to an extent that a journey that should otherwise take an hour-and-a-half now takes over three hours.
The strip road passes through the Nyamandlovu farming area to Tsholotsho Business Centre.
Due to the bad state of the road, motorists travelling to Tsholotsho have abandoned the Bulawayo-Nyamandlovu route and now opt to use the long route via Bulawayo-Solusi Road.
Bulawayo-Solusi Road is tarred up to Tshefunye Business Centre, and is in a better state, making it the preferred route for public transport operators and privately-owned vehicles travelling to Tsholotsho.
After Tshefunye Business Centre, about 80 kilometres of a dual tarred road, motorists complete the rest of the journey to Tsholotsho on a gravel road, a distance of close to 50 kilometres.
The gravel road was rehabilitated by the Government in preparation for the 45th Independence Day Celebrations that were held in Tsholotsho as the main venue for Matabeleland North commemorations for the first time since 1980, as part of the decentralisation thrust to spread national events to all corners of the country.
The last time the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development rehabilitated the Bulawayo-Nyamandlovu-Tsholotsho road was last year, when a stretch running for 2,4km was widened from near Norwood towards Nyamandlovu. Public transporter operators said they have instructed their drivers to use Bulawayo-Solusi Road to curb vehicle wear and tear costs.
“The worst part of the strip road is between Chelmer to Nyamandlovu. To save our vehicles, we have instructed our drivers to use Solusi Road, which is in a much better state,” said Mr Majaha Fuyane.
“The Government has started fixing other roads, such as the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls road and our appeal as kombi operators is for the Bulawayo-Nyamandlovu route to also be given preference.
“I’m sure motorists and public transport operators would not mind paying toll fees between Bulawayo and Tsholotsho as long as the road is smooth and in a good state,” Mr Fuyane said.
Another transporter operator, Mr Aleck Ncube, said the route now takes longer and is costly when it comes to vehicle maintenance.
“In the transport business, vehicle maintenance is very important; otherwise, we would all go out of business because passengers are very particular about which vehicle they will use before paying,” he said.
“Most operators have abandoned the strip road for fear of damaging tyres and spending more money on general vehicle maintenance. Travellers also first ask which road we are using and if the driver says he is going via Nyamandlovu, they opt for alternative transport,” said Mr Ncube.
Despite opting for the Bulawayo-Solusi Road, which is in a better state, Mr Ncube said they face stiff competition from pirate Honda Fit operators who also pick up passengers along the route.
“We can’t afford to leave Bulawayo with one or two empty seats in the hope that we will pick up passengers along the way. Honda Fit drivers also ply the route up to Tshefunye Business Centre and we have to compete for passengers along the route,” said Mr Ncube.
Hundreds of motorists who used the Bulawayo-Nyamandlovu route to attend the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Zimbabwe (SDA) week-long camp meeting in Nyamandlovu came face-to-face with the reality of using the badly damaged strip road. Yesterday, a Chronicle news crew used the Bulawayo-Nyamandlovu strip road and spoke to motorists who expressed frustration at the state of the road, which they said is a nightmare to drive on.
“The first 25 or so kilometres from Bulawayo are okay, but once the strip road starts, then driving becomes a nightmare until one reaches Nyamandlovu centre and right to Tsholotsho,” said SDA church member Mr Sifiso Nkiwane.
“What is most frustrating is that the strip road can now barely accommodate a single vehicle. Most of the cars that we passed on the roadside on our way to and from our church camp had burst tyres caused by the sharp edges of the strip road.
“When two vehicles travelling in the opposite direction meet, they are both forced to pull out of the strip road and that is when tyres usually burst or get damaged.”
By contrast, SDA congregants who attended the Solusi camp meeting and used the Bulawayo-Solusi Road told a different story about the state of the road that also leads to Tsholotsho.
“It’s a smooth road, which I realised is now being blocked by kombis and buses that ply the Bulawayo-Tsholotsho route. The number of private cars using the road has also increased compared to previous years.
“My worry, however, is that trucks carrying sand from Gwayi River will damage the road and soon it will be the same as the Bulawayo-Nyamandlovu Road that is now impassable,” said Mr Abednico Moyo.
Matabeleland North Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Richard Moyo said the Government has adopted a kilometre-by-kilometre approach to fixing the country’s roads and the Bulawayo-Nyamandlovu-Tsholotsho Road has not been forgotten.
“All Matabeleland North crucial roads that are in a bad state will be attended to, including the Bulawayo-Tsholotsho Road via Nyamandlovu.
“The Government will continue to prioritise the rehabilitation of all our major roads as it is currently happening with the Bulawayo-Nkayi and the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls roads,” said Minister Moyo.
