Fix your roads, AG tells Harare, Chitungwiza
AUDITOR-GENERAL Mrs Mildred Chiri has urged the Harare City Council and Chitungwiza Municipality to repair their road networks, as some of them are now impassable, posing danger to motorists.
In her latest report, Mrs Chiri said there was need for the councils to prioritise the repair and maintenance of roads.
“The roads which the council has responsibility to maintain in Harare have potholes which need attention, but have not been attended to,” she said. “In some areas where potholes have been patched up, they have been resurfacing, suggesting that repairs would have been made using weak materials.”
Mrs Chiri noted that some of the material used to patch potholes included sand and gravel, which were eroded and deposited in storm drains.
“Potholes may contribute to road accidents,” she said. “If potholes become excessive on one road they lead to road failure and increased maintenance costs.
“There would also be slow traffic movement as motorists try to negotiate their way past the potholes.”
In response, management at the Harare City Council said road repairs were work in progress.
“Council has made provisions to procure its own road maintenance equipment whilst a significant provision has been made in the 2017 revenue budget for attending to the potholes,” it said.
On Chitungwiza Municipality, Mrs Chiri noted that council’s major road networks in and around Zengeza 1, Zengeza 2 and St Mary’s were riddled with potholes “to an extent that driving through in some of the areas in these suburbs was difficult and hazardous to road users”.
She highlighted the risks of damage to property, accidents and loss of life by motorists.
Mrs Chiri urged council to prioritise maintenance of road networks in all residential areas.
Chitungwiza Council said: “A special road levy of $0,5/domestic property introduced in 2016 would augment funds from ZINARA.”