Road rehab creates jobs for youths

THE dualisation of Harare-Bulawayo Highway from Norton to the ZINARA tollgate has been impressive and has created jobs for youths, a Government official has said.

The dualisation is part of Mutare-Harare-Bulawayo-Plumtree dualisation project, which resumed late last year after the project stopped in Norton five years ago.

Government has since injected at least $5 million for the Norton (Karina) to the tollgate stretch through the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ), which is also Government’s financial advisor.

In an interview yesterday, district administrator for Chegutu Mr Tariro Tomu said progress was impressive.

“The Department of Roads has made quite an impressive and remarkable progress towards the dualisation of the Harare-Bulawayo Road in Norton,” he said.

“Right now, about 70 percent of the phase, which stretches from Karina to the tollgate has already been completed.”

The project, Mr Tomu said, had created employment for local youths.

“The roads department engaged 100 general hands, which means employment has been created, therefore, we are moving towards poverty eradication and economic empowerment in the district,” he said.

Group Five of South Africa upgraded the 800km highway in a project that cost Government $206 million with the Development Bank of Southern Africa providing the funding.

Infralink, a joint venture between the Zimbabwe National Road Administration and Group Five, executed the project.

Government has since blacklisted the South African company after realising the shoddy work by Group Five, while there were fears that the project cost had been inflated.