Govt surpasses rural road rehab target
GOVERNMENT has surpassed its target for the rehabilitation of rural roads as espoused under Zim-Asset’s Infrastructure and Utilities Cluster, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Addressing district administrators and heads of local authorities from Masvingo Province during a threeday Local Government Practitioners’ Retreat Workshop in Chiredzi last week, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joram Gumbo said Government was pleased with the team work exhibited by the local authorities since 2013.
He said most roads had outlived their life span and more than $5,5 billion was required for complete rehabilitation.
“As road authorities, you have a role to play in ensuring that we accomplish the targets set out under the Infrastructure and Utilities Cluster in the Zim-Asset blueprint,” said Minister Gumbo.
“In pursuance of this objective, road authorities were capacitated with 80 motorised graders in 2013 and this has seen an increase in output on grading.
“I am pleased that we have exceeded the Zim-Asset target in grading, which was set at 4 000 kilometres in five years.
“Cumulatively from 2013, we have graded in excess of 70 000km of rural roads, which is a major milestone.”
Minister Gumbo challenged the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) and local authorities to fully utilise available resources and machinery to cover the road repair backlog.
“I would want to urge Zinara to ensure minimum down time through effective and efficient maintenance of the graders,” he said.
“I would like to urge road authorities to ensure optimum utilisation of the graders so that the road network in your respective jurisdictions is kept in a trafficable state.”
Minister Gumbo challenged local authorities to work with legislators from their areas to deal with cases of multiple requests for funds for a single road.
“As you come up with your priorities in respect of the rehabilitation of roads in this province, I urge you to consult and involve Members of Parliament as they play a pivotal role in all developmental projects,” he said.
Minister Gumbo said to strengthen synergies, Zinara was deploying provincial managers to enhance visibility through working together with road authorities and legislators.
“This, in my view, will avoid a situation where the ministry and Zinara are overwhelmed by different requests for road rehabilitation by legislators and road authorities from similar jurisdictions,” he said.