Chronicle Editor
Senior Business Writer
DEPUTY Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Tongai Mnangagwa has hinted that the Bulawayo- Victoria Falls Highway rehabilitation would start soon as contractors have been awarded tenders.
Responding to journalists during the Sanganai-Hlanganani World Tourism expo press briefing in Bulawayo on Wednesday, deputy minister Mnangagwa said there would he heightened activity on the highway in the coming weeks.
“We have engaged a contractor to work on that road. What has been happening now was, we were consolidating and putting together the resources,” he said.
Good roads are seen as key economic enablers, which should help Zimbabwe’s drive towards attainment of Vision 2030 of an empowered upper-middle income economy.
Under the Infrastructure, Utilities and Digital Economy cluster, Zimbabwe’s economic blueprint, the National Development Strategy (NDS 1) prioritises the completion of road rehabilitation projects.
The Beitbridge-Bulawayo Victoria Falls Highway is a strategic trade route on the regional north-to-south corridor, linking Zimbabwe with South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia as well as the DRC.
The Government declared the state of road infrastructure in the country a state of emergency following heavy and destructive rains in the last two years.
derick.khumalo