Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba in Matabeleland North
Cabinet Ministers, who are assessing projects being implemented in Matabeleland province, are today checking on progress made by contractors working on the strategic Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road.
There are eight contractors working on the 440-kilometre road. This comes after another tour, which was held on Thursday in Matabeleland South province.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister, Felix Mhona, who is leading the delegation, is accompanied by Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Richard Moyo, Matabeleland North Provincial Roads Engineer Xolani Ncube, senior government officials and engineers from the Ministry of Transport led by the chief director Engineer David Jana.
The delegation first visited the Bernice area, one of the stretches being done by Fossil Contracting.
The contractor is on the ground and working on an 8 km stretch. The Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road, a critical trade and tourism artery linking Zimbabwe with Zambia, Namibia and Botswana, is being upgraded under the Government’s ongoing national road rehabilitation and modernisation programme.
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Initially, five contractors — Fossil Contracting, Masimba Holdings, Syvern Investment, Bitumen Resources and Tensor Systems were awarded contracts to rehabilitate sections of the 440-kilometre stretch. The Government later added three more contractors for Lots 6, 7 and 8, covering the final approaches to Victoria Falls to fast-track the completion of the upgrading of this busy highway.
The highway serves as a key route for regional trade and tourism, connecting southern Zimbabwe to the Kazungula Bridge and the wider SADC transport network.
For years, motorists, truckers and tourists travelling to Victoria Falls — a Unesco World Heritage Site and one of the world’s premier tourist destinations — have endured long, difficult journeys due to the pothole-riddled highway.
The rehabilitation work, expected to be completed this year, aims to restore the route to world-class standards that support the free flow of goods, tourism traffic and regional economic integration.
In an interview with Zimpapers last November, Transport and Infrastructural Development Ministry permanent secretary, Engineer Joy Makumbe, said that while weather conditions can pose challenges, contractors are prepared to continue with critical works where it is safe and technically feasible.
The Bulawayo – Victoria Falls Road rehabilitation is part of the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP II), launched by the Government to modernise the country’s road network. The programme has seen major works on highways such as Harare – Beitbridge, Harare-Chirundu, Mutare-Harare, and key feeder roads in all provinces.
The project aligns with the Second Republic’s policy of devolution and inclusive development, ensuring that strategic economic corridors in all regions receive attention to unlock industrial growth, facilitate tourism and enhance cross-border trade.
Once complete, the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road is expected to improve road safety, reduce travel time between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls and strengthen Zimbabwe’s position as a regional logistics and tourism hub.
Peter Tanyanyiwa