Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili
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GOVERNMENT is set to introduce a new road development programme as the Second Republic steps up efforts to revamp the country’s road network in line with the National Development Strategy1 (NDS1).
The new programme, set to be rolled out next year, succeeds the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme 2 (ERRP 2) which expires at the end of the year.
Local authorities with unfinished ERRP2 business will be required to fund their outstanding road works using alternative revenue sources.
This emerged during the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) workshop on strategies to address road rehabilitation at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Exhibition Centre in Bulawayo yesterday.
Under the Infrastructure, Utilities, and Digital Economy cluster, Zimbabwe’s economic blueprint, NDS1 prioritises completion of road rehabilitation projects.
The main aspirations of NDS1 include infrastructural development as a key enabler in attaining Vision 2030 of having an upper middle-income economy.
NDS1 notes that “a road can become an economy” and in this regard, the focus will be on the development of feeder roads into communities as a way of developing underdeveloped remote areas.
President Mnangagwa declared the country’s roads a state of disaster in 2021 after most of the country’s roads were damaged by excessive rains.
This led to the introduction of the ERRP2 programme whose thrust was to rehabilitate some of the badly damaged roads.
The ERRP2 programme is being implemented in terms of Statutory Instrument 47 of 2021 and comes to an end in December following its successful implementation.
Under ERRP2, Bulawayo’s major roads such as George Avenue, Siyepambili Drive and 23rd Avenue were rehabilitated.
In his keynote address during the Zinara workshop, Transport and Infrastructure Development Permanent Secretary Engineer Theodius Chinyanga said Government is now shifting towards a road development programme.
“For the past two years, we have been seized with the Emergency Roads Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP2) with Zinara being the main source of funding for that programme. It should be noted that the ERRP2 is a temporary measure, and as such, it will not subsist in perpetuity,” he said.
“Being a three-year programme, the ERRP2 is in its final phase and is set to be concluded at the end of 2023 thereby paving way for the Road Development Programme, which will be rolled out starting 2024.”
Eng Chinyanga challenged all road authorities to wind up their ERRP2 business and ensure that all projects are concluded.
“Zinara, will from the beginning of next year, revert to funding routine and periodic maintenance under the road maintenance programme which runs parallel with the Road Development Programme,” he said.
“Any road authority with unfinished ERRP2 business will have to fund its outstanding ERRP2 obligations from alternative sources. Similarly, all administrative obligations from an oversight perspective will have to be concluded before the turn of the year.”
Eng Chinyanga said the country’s road infrastructure development is behind by 20 years hence the need for collective effort to improve it.
He said some of the roads have outlived their lifespan and need reconstruction with Government now engaging the private sector to reconstruct some of them.
“Confronted by this undeniable reality, we need to adopt a business ‘unusual’ approach and be agile enough, given that some of our roads now require complete reconstruction. We need to show dexterity in our thinking and explore other transformative funding models to refurbish and develop our road network,” said Eng Chinyanga.
“In other countries, they are coming up with various incentives to promote Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) models. This is an area where we need to apply our minds and seriously consider as we seek to come up with robust and sustainable ways of developing and refurbishing our road network.”
The permanent secretary said road authorities should desist from the culture of solely relying on Government funding for reconstruction works since the national purse is overstretched with other national commitments and obligations.
Eng Chinyanga said rehabilitating the country’s roads is a vehicle towards the attainment of Vision 2030.
“In line with His Excellency, President Mnangagwa’s thrust and vision of attaining an empowered upper-middle-income economy by 2030, road infrastructure is one of the key drivers. As such, we should leave no stone unturned and our presence here, today, is a demonstration of our unwavering commitment to this cause,” he said.
Eng Chinyanga said stakeholders should be charting strategies to transform the country’s roads in line with President Mnangagwa’s philosophy “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabaninilo.”
He said Government will also blacklist contractors who do shoddy work, and challenged Zinara to also consider providing road authorities with funds to retool as contracted companies were failing.
“Most road authorities have been duped by some fly-by-night contractors who are not well equipped to undertake road works at a national level. This ultimately compromised the quality of work delivered by these contractors,” said Eng Chinyanga.
“In view of this sad situation, it is imperative that Zinara considers retooling the road authorities with equipment so that they reduce hiring costs which are chewing the greater chunk of their disbursement allocations.”
Eng Chinyanga commended Zinara for committing to disbursing funds for road rehabilitation. Zinara disbursed $30 billion to rural and urban local authorities, Roads department and District Development Fund.
He said it is worrying that some of the road authorities are failing to acquit for the funds allocated to them resulting in delays in the disbursement of more funds.
“This is affecting timeous implementation of road works and that is a disservice to the people that we are supposed to serve. Furthermore, I am advised that some road authorities are undertaking works that are outside their approved allocations and over-committing to contractors. Again, this is unacceptable and a misnomer we should desist from henceforth,” said Eng Chinyanga.
Speaking during the same event, ERRP 2 nation co-ordinator Engineer Marone Tatenda Pasipamire said the road development programme is expected to upgrade some of the country’s roads.
“The road development programme will target to develop all regional and primary (intercity roads) to such a standard of free-ways and highways, upgrade rural roads from gravel to all weather surface standard, improve the country’s surface standard road density and its accessibility by all and sundry,” he said.
Sidumisile Mabena