Online Reporter
Nqobile Bhebhe, Senior Zimpapers Writer
MEASURES have been put in place to promote inclusive economic involvement, including subcontracting and supply opportunities for local small-to-medium enterprises in the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road rehabilitation project.
This comes as the Government has reiterated that the tendering process for the rehabilitation of the strategic highway was conducted transparently, with all qualified companies allowed to participate.
Concerns had been raised in Parliament last week regarding the perceived lack of participation by small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) from Bulawayo, Lupane, Hwange and Victoria Falls in the massive road project.
During Parliament on Wednesday, Lobengula-Magwegwe legislator Tendai Nyathi asked what the Government was doing to ensure small companies that have no big machinery and cannot win tenders are empowered to work on the highway.
Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Ziyambi Ziyambi stressed that the process was open, fair and conducted in accordance with procurement regulations.
“My recollection was that this road was advertised and no one was excluded from participating in the tender, satisfying the requirements. In the absence of any information that indicates that there was a discriminatory approach whereby certain companies with capabilities within that region were excluded, I am unable to respond to that because it was a public tender which was publicised, opened and adjudicated in public,” said Minister Ziyambi.
“Everything was done transparently but if the Honourable Member has information that there are companies in that particular region who had the capacity to construct the road but were deliberately excluded, we are willing to engage and ensure that corrective action is taken.”
MP Nyathi, however, pressed further, suggesting that while small companies may not have the capacity to take on the full scope of the project, they could be subcontracted by larger firms as a way of empowering local businesses.
In response, Speaker of the National Assembly, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, clarified the structure of the project and pointed out that subcontracting is already occurring on the ground.
“Maybe you do not understand that there was a tender application request that these companies were able to do the job applied to, which the small companies did not. The Bulawayo–Victoria Falls Road is a huge project which also requires well-equipped giant companies to do the job, which these small companies cannot,” said Adv Mudenda.
“Let me give you an example, these big companies do not extract those small stones to do that. There is Davis Granite, it is the one that has been giving big companies quarry — it happens. In Phakame, 60 kilometres from Hwange, there is a quarry. They can also supply.”
The Speaker added that other local firms were supplying tar and other key construction materials, highlighting ongoing indirect participation of smaller regional players through value chain linkages.
Minister Ziyambi also explained that large-scale capital projects of this nature often require substantial upfront investment, which smaller firms are currently unable to provide due to constrained access to finance — a challenge worsened by the effects of international sanctions.
“There are certain things that have happened in this country that do not allow for capital development. We do not have lines of credit to access loans to do capital development,” said the minister.
“Against that background, the requirement was also that these big companies should help in terms of funding by constructing roads, then we pay. In other words, they are acting as a lender to Government. Small companies do not have that capacity.”
He added that the Government is actively working towards unlocking financial support and developing mechanisms to support and empower emerging local contractors.
“As we continue with the help of His Excellency, the President, we are saying let us open up our economy, we will get there. We have an arrears clearance programme. We are talking to various international institutions with a view of unlocking, then we will be able to blend and assist some of our upcoming companies by giving them a concessionary tender with suitable terms that can allow them to also participate.”
Recently, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development named Fossil Contracting, Masimba Construction, Syvern Investment, Bitumen Resources and Tensor Systems as the firms driving the critical infrastructure project, divided into five lots along the key route.
The firms have since moved in to lead the rehabilitation of the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls highway, with significant progress already made in clearing detour paths to keep traffic flowing during construction.
The 435km highway, a vital tourism and trade corridor, is expected to see dramatically improved travel conditions upon completion of the upgrade.
The Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road project is a critical infrastructure development that is expected to boost tourism, trade and regional integration.
The Government maintains that while large firms are currently executing the project due to its capital-intensive nature, measures are in place to ensure inclusive economic participation, including through subcontracting and supply arrangements with local SMEs.
Bongani Ndlovu