Legislators decry poor state of roads
LEGISLATORS have raised concerns over the increased deterioration of the country’s road network attributing the extensive damage on the country’s major highways to increased traffic, particularly haulage trucks.
The policy makers said this during an engagement meeting with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development in Gweru on Thursday.
Zhombe representative in the National Assembly Engineer Daniel McKenzie Ncube said there was a need for Government to craft a policy that would ban haulage trucks carrying heavy goods to use the country’s major highways and make use of rail for transportation of heavy products such as minerals within and outside the country.
Eng Ncube said this would also come in handy in Government’s endeavour to revive the National Railway of Zimbabwe.
He said Zimbabwe National Road Authority (Zinara)’s coffers were strained and were not capacitated to service all the country’s roads at regular intervals hence there is need for the country to complement the road authority’s efforts to prolong the life span of the major highways.
“We have to appreciate that we have limited resources as a country and our road authority is overburdened. As policy makers we are concerned that our roads are also overwhelmed with haulage trucks that are also shortening the life span of our roads. I think it’s prudent for Government to come up with a policy that deters transportation of heavy goods by road. These should be transported by rail and it will also help revive the National Railways of Zimbabwe,” he said.
Eng Ncube said they will push the agenda through Parliament and compel Government to come up with a policy which makes it imperative for heavy goods such as minerals to be transported by rail as this will prolong the life span of the country’s major highways.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Dr Joram Gumbo said Zinara was working with a limited budget hence there was a need for road authorities to embrace innovative strategies such as the Private Public Partnerships (PPP).
“It is not a secret that most of our road network has outlived its useful life span and we would need to expand approximately more than $5 billion to rehabilitate the country’s roads. The revenue that Zinara is mobilising, which is less than $200 million per annum is not sufficient to cover the maintenance backlog.
This is why we are urging road authorities to pursue other innovative strategies such as the Private Public Partnerships (PPP) where applicable and mobilisation of funds from local financial institutions,” he said.
Dr Gumbo said the ministry had engaged Finance Minister Cde Patrick Chinamasa to stop garnishing funds collected by the road authority so that it would be channeled towards revamping, sealing and maintenance of roads and improve the road network.
“We have agreed with (Finance) Minister Chinamasa to stop garnishing Zinara funds so that we maintain the country’s roads,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Gumbo, speaking in Bulawayo on Friday urged local authorities to work with Members of Parliament from their respective areas regardless of political affiliations to achieve development.
Dr Gumbo castigated municipalities that sideline MPs urging them to invite the latter to their meetings as all developmental projects are instigated by MPs as the legislators.
“I urge you to consult and involve local Members of Parliament as they play a pivotal role in all developmental projects within their provinces. Local authorities should not be selective or look for an MP that belongs to their party as nationals of Zimbabwe do not care whether a road has been graded by a member of MDC, a church or an individual; they just want a proper road,” he said.
Dr Gumbo said the ministry and Zinara have been inundated by different requests for road rehabilitation by legislators and road authorities from similar jurisdictions whereas corporation between the two would yield a priority list that can be addressed.
He said by including the MPs in the planning process, authorities can play their role of looking after roads or reporting about the status of roads while MPs assist with approaching an appropriate ministry.
“The role of MPs is to legislate while road authorities have been given the task of looking after roads. Leaders must know their roles and oversee the use of funds in their jurisdiction but let the people given a task carry out their duties,” he said.
Dr Gumbo said to strengthen synergies, Zinara would be deploying provincial managers to enhance visibility through working together with road authorities and legislators. “Our expectation is that you have a priority list of roads which speaks to the needs of all stakeholders in the province,” said Dr
Gumbo.