Govt rehabilitates Nyanga roads

THE Government-funded project to rehabilitate 95km of roads in Nyanga through the Rural Infrastructural Development Agency is nearing completion, with 97 percent of the work now complete.

The project which is being implemented by the Rural Infrastructural Development Agency (RIDA) has seen 14 roads being rehabilitated across Nyanga North Constituency.

As a result, hard to reach areas like Fombe and Rwenya have become accessible.

The progress of the project was inspected by Minister of Provincial Affairs in the Office of the President, Honourable Lovemore Matuke who visited the 14 roads across Nyanga District on Tuesday.

In an interview on the sidelines of the tour, Minister Matuke said the Government is actively working to ensure that convenient access roads connect all villages nationwide, facilitating the unhindered movement of goods and services.

He said: “Government is aware of the challenges that some of our rural communities face in terms of road infrastructure. That is why it has allocated funds to upgrade and maintain the existing roads, as well as to construct new ones where necessary. Our goal is to ensure that every village is accessible by road, regardless of the distance or terrain. This will improve the livelihoods of our people and boost the economic development of our country.”

Minister Matuke emphasised the importance of easy access to essential services such as schools, clinics, hospitals and farms, a commitment aligned with President Mnangagwa’s pledge to leave no place and no one behind.

He said: “We are working hard to ensure that every citizen of Zimbabwe has the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of development and prosperity. We are investing in infrastructure, education, health and agriculture to improve the quality of life of our people.”

Minister Matuke further emphasised that his ministry, in collaboration with the Rural Infrastructural Development Agency, will oversee the drilling of more boreholes in rural areas, ensuring sufficient water supply for these communities.

In an interview, RIDA Director General, Mr Christopher Shumba, said rehabilitation of rural roads promotes rural industrialisation. He said improving road infrastructure in rural areas is essential for fostering industrial development and economic growth, while also arguing that better roads will facilitate the movement of goods and services, reduce transportation costs, and attract more investors and entrepreneurs to the rural regions.

“It should be emphasised that rural industrialisation is a key strategy for creating jobs, reducing poverty, and enhancing social welfare, and Government will continue prioritising the rehabilitation of roads as a means of achieving rural transformation and national development. Other stakeholders should also follow suit,” said Mr Shumba.

He said they are rehabilitating roads across the country.

“Nyanga North legislator, Honourable Chido Sanyatwe gave us a list of inaccessible roads, and when we got the requisite resources like fuel, we authorised our machinery to start work in the constituency. We realised that once the roads are rehabilitated, people will have easy access to all requisite services and our Vision 2030 of an upper middle income economy will be realised,” he said.

The rehabilitated roads in Nyanga North constituency include Regina-Kagore, Kambudzi Access, Ruwende-Samanyika, Kute Loop, Manyau Access, Potato Projects Access, Sanzvenga-Nyamaropa, Kute-Nyamhanda, Samanyika Primary School, Murengani Access, Charamba-Bende-Kagore, Nyamubarawana High Access, Sanhanhi-Renzva-Chifamba and Bande-Avila Roads, which have all been

completed.

Motorised grading of Ruwangwe-FombeRwenya is in progress.

The poor state of the roads in Kagore Village was a major obstacle for the local community, especially accessing health care and markets.

A villager, Mrs Nancy Tumbare said they used to pay exorbitant fares to travel 13km to Regina Coeli Mission Hospital.

“Many pregnant women were forced to deliver at home, risking their lives and those of their babies. We are very grateful to Government for fixing the road and improving our situation,” she said.

Mr Callisto Sakuhuni, a farmer in the village, also expressed appreciation for the road rehabilitation project.

He said it will reduce costs and increase their profits margins.

“We were suffering from high transport charges due to the bad roads. Now we have more opportunities and hope for the future,” he said.