adminCletus Mushanawani News Editor
NOT only is Mutare one of the most beautiful places in the country, but also has the most kind and warmest people. However, the city’s glitter is fast being eroded by potholes some as deep as craters which are covering the length and breadth of most roads. Motorists are crying foul, while residents are up in arms with local authorities as some of them are forced to endure walking long distances to catch commuter omnibuses which have shun routes with badly damaged roads.
Some residents have resorted to boycotting paying rates accusing the cash-strapped local authority of having wrong priorities as some of the roads are virtually impassable.
Those good at caricature have come up with different images of people fishing along major roads, while some have come up with images of crocodiles preying for game along the same roads. In the past, it was easy to dictate a driver driving under the influence of alcohol, as his or her vehicle would be swerving from left to right, thereby being a danger to fellow motorists and pedestrians, but today if one is seen to be driving straight along most roads in residential areas, that person would probably be under the weather or high on substances.
Barely a week passes without an accident attributed to potholes. To some, the potholes have become a source of quick bucks and some have gone to the extent of holding motorists at ransom by erecting barricades along the roads claiming that they would be volunteering in repairing roads. The ‘volunteers’ always demand something for whatever they will be doing, thereby creating their own toll-gates.
The volunteers also risk their lives especially with speed-merchants who drive commuter omnibuses and pirate taxis that ply any route as long as it pays. With Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe attributing 11 percent of road accidents reported in the country to poor state of the road, this has spurred the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs, Cde Mandi Chimene into action. Cde Chimene who started her tenure as the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs sprinting has made road safety as one of her top priorities and she is already walking her talk. Her office and other stakeholders in Manicaland have set next Tuesday (March 3, 2015) as a day for pothole filling in the city. Cde Chimene has already mobilised resources such as quarry dust, trucks to carry the dust and labour as well as volunteers from the city to make the day a success.
“I cannot be said to be the mother of the province when some of my innocent children are losing their lives on a daily basis to a problem we have created because of our negligence and poor planning. Road traffic accidents can be tamed if we pool resources and work together to rehabilitate our roads.
“Yes, everyone can look to the Central Government to play a leading role in rehabilitating our roads, but it is common cause that our national coffers are empty. Yes, we are paying toll-fees, but is the money enough to rehabilitate all the country’s roads? Shall we all die while waiting for the resources to accumulate to a level where they will be shared equally to all provinces? If we say no to this, then we should think outside the box and make our roads safe for everyone. We cannot do all the roads, but a journey of a thousand kilometres starts with a single step and our pothole filling blitz is that crucial first step,” said Cde Chimene.
On Monday, Cde Chimene held a meeting with representatives from diamond mining companies operating at Chiadzwa where she made a passionate appeal for them on come on board and support the programme.
“We have set March 10 as the day to launch this pothole feeling blitz. We will start with Mutare and move to other areas. Most of our highways are littered with potholes and this is just unacceptable. We are shooting ourselves in the foot if we do not act because we are all road-users and can be accident victims one day.
“We have sourced quarry dust for the programme and we need cement to mix with it so that we can cover most of the potholes in the city. As some of the major economic players in Manicaland, we are calling upon you to come on board and support this noble cause. As diamond mining companies, you should not forget that you have heavy vehicles that also contribute in damaging our roads. Besides that by supporting this programme, you will be playing a part in your corporate social responsibility programmes of saving lives. We all want a healthy workforce and we are losing some of the best brains in the country through avoidable accidents.
“We are not forcing you to contribute, but we should all know that traffic safety is for everyone,” she said.
In a separate interview, Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe’s Manicaland regional manager, Ms Georgina Mathetha, welcomed Cde Chimene’s decision to promote safety on Manicaland roads.
“This is a well thought idea and we want to applaud Minister Chimene for coming up with it. A total of 11 percent of road accidents reported in Zimbabwe are attributed to poor state of our roads. It can be potholes, corrugation, poor road signs, roads wearing out or curves, lives are being lost to poor state of the roads.
“You can imagine what happens if one hits a pothole when travelling at top speed? It is either the vehicle overturns or it is badly damaged. Our Minister has done a great job in coming up with this idea of filling potholes because potholes also contribute to vehicle defects which in the long run can cause serious road accidents as some of the vehicles will not be roadworthy,” she said.
On the issue of the so-called volunteers working on repairing roads, Mrs Mathetha, said while the move was noble, it was being abused and putting lives at risk.
“We should be careful when we try to address some of these challenges because we may end up putting our lives at risk for a noble cause. We should not put money first in everything that we do because we are seeing some residents sacrificing their lives for the love of money. Even children are now being involved in road maintenance, thereby promoting child labour.
“Some of the so-called volunteers are so rude and they end up causing unnecessary congestion on roads thereby frustrating motorists who end up speeding trying to cover up for the lost time while negotiating with the volunteers,” she said.
Mrs Mathetha urged businesspeople to come on board and support road rehabilitation programmes.
“These programmes are not meant for their safety alone, but also for their employees. A good road also means good business for them. Let take an example of the Mutare-Vumba Road which is a nightmare to drive yet we have so many active players in the tourism industry that stand to benefit immensely if they contribute something towards the maintenance of that road.
“Most people are shunning visiting the Vumba area because of the very poor state of the road especially the area near Prince of Wales View. We should think of our safety every time because it is said a stitch in time saves nine,” she said.
Online Reporter