Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge Bureau
THE Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructure Development is conducting a nationwide tour to assess service delivery by local authorities, with particular focus on the utilisation of funds and fuel allocated by the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA).
The committee, which visited Beitbridge Rural District Council on Wednesday, said four councils assessed so far had made progress in using disbursed funds towards road rehabilitation and maintenance.
However, the committee said local authorities needed to improve service delivery and ensure that roadworks were durable.
In an interview, committee chairperson Cde Tawanda Karikoga said the team had so far visited four local authorities as part of Parliament’s constitutional oversight mandate.
“We are carrying out one of our constitutional mandates as the Parliament Portfolio Committee for Transport and Infrastructure Development,” he said.
“We are in Beitbridge. Today we visited Beitbridge RDC to ensure that they utilised ZINARA funds and fuel which was allocated to them on projects that benefit the people.”
Cde Karikoga said the purpose of the visits is to verify compliance and ensure roadworks align with the aspirations of Zimbabweans for a better roads network.
“What we have realised is that most of the councils, to some extent, have correctly utilised the funds,” he said.
“We commend them for that. But in some instances, not much was done, and as parliament we also go further on actually what transpired.”
Cde Karikoga urged local authorities to act promptly once funds are disbursed and to prioritise quality in construction.
“Once funds are given to the local authority or to any road authority, we expect them to utilise those funds. Not keep them in their accounts or misuse them,” he said.
Cde Karikoga added that councils must focus on delivering roads with a longer lifespan to reduce repeat maintenance costs and improve mobility for communities, farmers, and businesses.
The oversight exercise is part of Parliament’s broader role of monitoring government programmes and ensuring public resources are used efficiently.
Cde Karikoga said while progress has been recorded, delays in implementation remain a concern in some councils, and Parliament will follow up.
He said the committee will compile a report with recommendations for both ZINARA and local authorities to improve efficiency and accountability as oversight visits continue to other districts.
Local authorities across the country have been receiving ZINARA allocations for road rehabilitation under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme.
The funds are meant to address potholes, grading of rural roads, and drainage works.
Beitbridge RDC Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Kiliboni Mbedzi, welcomed the oversight role of Parliament, saying it helps councils to remain accountable in the use of public resources.
“The importance of this kind of visit, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee, especially this one which was here, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructure Development, is that they come for the verification process of the utilisation of Zinara funds and fuel disbursement,” said Mrs Mbedzi.
“So that monitoring on its own, it checks on how we do service delivery. It also ensures that there’s compliance within council on the utilisation of the funds and fuels.”
Mrs Mbedzi noted some of the recommendations made by the committee, including the need for a maintenance plan and policy for council equipment.
“So far, we have learnt a lot from the team. They recommended that we should have a maintenance plan for our equipment and a maintenance policy,” he said.
“That will ensure that if a grader breaks down, it doesn’t take long to get back to service our roads. So we are going to implement that.
“They also recommended that we should reorient our councillors on their responsibilities and duties, which they recommended to the DDC’s office.”
Mrs Mbedzi acknowledged challenges the council has faced in utilising funds due to equipment breakdowns.
“We have had some challenges in utilising the funds on the ground because of grader breakdowns and the life of our grader, which is a bit long, which is now giving us problems,” she said.
