Nyore Madzianike and Freeman Razemba
THE Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) has exceeded its road maintenance throughput target by 12 percent, after covering 38 112 kilometres this year, as the organisation lays a solid foundation for the implementation of the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).
ZINARA chief executive officer Mr Nkosinathi Ncube said this during the organisation’s 10th Annual General Meeting held in Harare.
He said the organisation had recorded a significant increase in funds disbursed towards road infrastructure, with total group disbursements, including Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) loan servicing, reaching ZWG 9,2 billion (US$361,3 million) in 2025.
The figure represented a 16,8 percent increase against the 2025 revised annual target of ZWG 8,2 billion (US$305,1 million).
“This 2025 performance is a significant leap from the US$108.8 million disbursed in 2021, the NDS1 first year, marking an extraordinary 232 percent growth in real terms over the five-year NDS1 cycle,” he said.
“This exponential growth in funding throughput reflects a fundamental shift toward a highly need-responsive implementation-led strategy.
“Our disbursement-to-revenue ratio, which sat at a mere 17 percent in 2020 and 71 percent in 2024, matured to a robust 73 percent in 2025—a gain of 56 percentage points from 2020.
“This indicates that for every dollar collected in 2025, a significantly larger portion was immediately funnelled into tangible road works compared to the start of the NDS1 period.”
Mr Ncube said ZINARA had recalibrated its operations to meet the demands of NDS1, shifting from a passive fund manager to an active enabler of national infrastructure development.
The authority also supported high-impact road projects and strengthened the capacity of road authorities to undertake maintenance works across the country.
“In 2025 alone, we availed ZWG5.9 billion (equivalent to US$227 million) in funding for high-impact road projects executed through Treasury and the Department of Roads (DoR),” he said.
“In addition, ZINARA strengthened the operations of Road Authorities by supplying 2,8 million litres of fuel during 2025—bringing the cumulative total since 2024 to 5,04 million litres – with 1,1 million litres specifically allocated to the Bulawayo–Victoria Falls tourist route.
“Furthermore, we successfully resuscitated ten Department of Roads maintenance units during the year, contributing to a total of 78 restored units since 2023, thereby ensuring that maintenance crews are adequately equipped to carry out effective and timely preventive road maintenance record.”
The authority is now looking to sustain the gains recorded under NDS1 as the country transitions to NDS2, which covers the 2026-2030 period.
“As we conclude the NDS1 period, ZINARA stands as a revitalised institution. With road maintenance throughput closing 12 percent above target—reaching 38,112 km this year—we have laid a solid foundation for NDS2,” he said.
“Our focus remains clear: sustaining this momentum, optimising the collection of our RUCs portfolio through rolling out ZINARA E-wallet, capacitating road authorities for tangible maintenance interventions and preserving our national road network through weighbridges, thus ensuring that Zimbabwe’s road network remains the resilient backbone of our national economic vision toward 2030.
“To this end, I extend my sincere gratitude to our stakeholders, partners, and the dedicated ZINARA team. Your unwavering support and commitment have been instrumental in our achievements.
“Together, we are redefining road funding and building a resilient funding framework for all-weather roads to drive Zimbabwe’s economic development agenda as espoused in NDS2 (2026-2030).”
