Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
THE Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructure Development has noted progress by local authorities in using Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) funds for road rehabilitation, but urged councils to improve the quality and durability of roadworks.
The committee is conducting a nationwide oversight exercise to assess service delivery by local authorities and verify how funds and fuel allocated by ZINARA are being utilised.
The committee visited Beitbridge Rural District Council (BBRDC) on Wednesday as part of the ongoing exercise.
Committee chairperson Cde Tawanda Karikoga said the team had so far visited four councils and found varying levels of progress in the utilisation of the funds.
“We are carrying out one of our constitutional mandates as the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee for Transport and Infrastructure Development. 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,” said Cde Karikoga.
He said the visits were aimed at verifying compliance and ensuring that road projects were implemented in line with the expectations of communities.
“What we have realised is most of the councils to some extent they’ve utilised the funds in a correct manner. And we commend them for that. But in some instances not much was done and as Parliament we also go further on actually what transpired,” he said.
Cde Karikoga urged local authorities to act promptly once funds were disbursed and to prioritise quality in road construction and maintenance.
“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.
He said councils should focus on constructing roads that can withstand prolonged use, thereby reducing repeated maintenance costs and improving mobility for communities, farmers and businesses.
While acknowledging progress in some councils, Cde Karikoga said delays in implementing projects remained a concern and would be followed up by Parliament.
He said the committee would compile a report containing recommendations for ZINARA and local authorities aimed at improving efficiency, accountability and service delivery.
Local authorities across the country have been receiving ZINARA allocations for road rehabilitation under theEmergency Road Rehabilitation Programme, with the funds being used for pothole patching, grading of rural roads and drainage works.
BBRDC chief executive officer Mrs Kiliboni Mbedzi welcomed the oversight visit, saying it helped ensure accountability 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 said the council had taken note of recommendations made by the committee, including the need to introduce a maintenance plan and policy for its equipment.
“So far what we have learnt a lot from the team. Their recommendations were that we should have a maintenance plan for our equipment and maintenance policy. 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,” she said.
The committee also recommended that councillors be reoriented on their roles and responsibilities, with the matter referred to the District Development Coordinator’s office.
Mrs Mbedzi said equipment breakdowns, particularly involving the council’s ageing grader, had affected the pace at which funds could be utilised on the ground.
“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.
