Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
THE Victoria Falls City Council has embarked on a massive road rehabilitation programme using part of the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP2) funds received from Government.
The local authority was allocated Z$105 million under the ERRP2 which was launched by President Mnangagwa and has so far received Z$12 million.
Council channelled all the money to road maintenance and work is underway to tar about seven streets both in high and low-density suburbs.
President Mnangagwa has declared the country’s road network a state of disaster as most of the roads have become untrafficable due to ageing and damage by heavy rains that were received during the past rain season.
Government mandated the Department of Roads to take over 500km of roads from urban councils.
Victoria Falls Mayor Councillor Somveli Dlamini said the ERRP2 money was released by Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara).
A news crew observed that the road connecting Moringa Shopping Centre to BD848 through Mfelandawonye suburb and Mukali road which connects New Houses to BD847 via Hlalani Kuhle suburbs in Ward 11 have been tarred.
In Chinotimba, work is underway on a road near Chinotimba Long Distance Bus Rank, Masue Reservoir-Jehovah’s Witness road, Old Market-Ngarivume Medical Centre road, Batonka Lodge to Farm School road in Ward 3 as well as other roads in wards eight and 10.
The roads have not been upgraded for years and as such are now in a very bad state.
“We were allocated Z$105 million and so far we have received about Z$12 million and all of it has been channelled towards road rehabilitation. We are asking Government to prioritise us and release more money before the onset of the rains,” said Clr Dlamini.
Excited motorists and residents welcomed the rehabilitation of the roads which they said was long overdue.
“The council has done well by fixing these roads. This Mukali road had been bad for a long time and now that is being attended to,” said Mr Tazman Sibanda.
Even cyclists are happy as they had been struggling on sandy roads.
“This is good as you can see it’s now easy to cycle around,” said 15-year-old Wayne Ncube from Chinotimba.
Ms Maudy Moyo from BD847 said: “I hope we will now have taxis going into our area now that there is a proper road. We have been walking for about a kilometre to get taxis to town.” — @ncubeleon
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