dyton mupawaenda
Freeman Razemba-Senior Reporter
The final 36km of the Mount Darwin-Mukumbura Road in Mashonaland Central is now at an advanced stage under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP).
The rehabilitation of Ndodahondo Road follows the successful rehabilitation of another section from Mt Darwin to the Zambezi valley, which has brought convenience to the motoring public.
A motorist, Mr Kelius Mudindo said: “This road has been rehabilitated very well but we are calling for the rehabilitation of the remaining part up to Mukumbura.
“We used to take many hours to reach this Zambezi area from Mukumbura due to the sorry state of the road. We are happy because we are seeing the progress.”
Another motorist Mr Abnesi Zondai, said: “Our wish is for this road to be rehabilitated throughout to the border post because during the rainy season, it’s difficult for buses to negotiate through up to the border.”
A Mukumbura villager, Mr Morgan Mandimu, said it was his hope that Government will speed up the project for the benefit of other villagers.
Another villager Mr Langton Mwarazi said he was happy that Government was not only conducting such projects in their area, but countrywide.
Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development Provincial Roads Engineer for Mashonaland Central, Engineer Joseph Makokove, highlighted the importance and significance of the road in connecting Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
“We have our main critical road which is the Mt Darwin-Mukumbura road commonly known as Ndodahondo road. The road links Zimbabwe to Mozambique. We now have 36km left for the surfacing of the road so that it gets to the border and on the Mozambican side they are left with 25km. Under ERRP, we had earmarked to do 10km and we have a contractor on the ground. This is an important road, which will increase trade if we are to surface the road up to the border post,” he said.
Other road upgrades in Mashonaland Central include the ongoing Harare–Kanyemba road rehabilitation where 10 kilometres have been rehabilitated and now open to traffic, the rehabilitation of 17km of the Nyakasikana-Karanda road as well as the rehabilitation of the main road which connects Mt Darwin to Rushinga.
The Government came up with the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme 2 (ERRP2) not only to focus on major highways, but also those roads in suburbs of towns and cities that have been abandoned by opposition-run councils over the years, leaving motorists to navigate potholes and increasing the cost of owning and operating vehicles.
Over 2 000km of roads have been re-gravelled, while 6 627,9km have been graded, with 701 drainage structures constructed or repaired and 184 wash-aways reclaimed.
Across the country, 4 491,5km of drains have been opened while 6 141,2km of verges have been cleared.
Progress continues to be made on the patching of potholes, with 4 794,8km of road having been attended to.
Zanu PF, led by President Mnangagwa, has been on a drive to improve infrastructure across the country.
Dams, roads, bridges, hospitals, clinics and schools have been constructed while irrigation schemes that stopped operating several years ago, have been resuscitated by President Mnangagwa’s administration.
The President has said that with more economic activities now taking place across the country, Zimbabweans are guaranteed a massive improvement in their living standards in line with Vision 2030 of an empowered and prosperous upper middle income society.
Online Reporter