by Gideon Madzikatidze/Simbarashe Sithole
LUPANE – The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Engineer Joy Makumbe, has addressed concerns over discrepancies in road construction costs and expenditures in Zimbabwe, claiming uniform distances cost may vary depending on some engineering variables including nature of terrain, proximity to required resources, labour force requisites, among others.
Speaking during a media tour of the ongoing road construction along Lupane-Nkayi-Kwekwe highway, Makumbe highlighted several key factors influencing these costs.
“We have noted that some sections of the public expressed frustration and dismay over costs discrepancies amongst our roads even within the same distances on various sections or locations. Proximity to water sources, gradient, and soil texture significantly impact construction expenses,” Makumbe said.
“Usually those projects near water bodies or in hilly terrains require specialised engineering, boosting costs. This would therefore result in discrepancies because of the dynamics involved in constructing such a road,” Engineer Makumbe added.
“There are also labour dynamics involved where the nature of the local labour force, particularly in border provinces, sometimes necessitates compensation in foreign currency, affecting overall budgets. Some locals would set conditions that they need full payment in foreign currency or three quarters and a portion of local currency citing that all their transactions within the nearest border towns involve use of foreign currency, so this also result in discrepancies despite the fact that there is a need to draw eighty percent of our labour form nearby communities,” Makumbe said.
Engineer Makumbe also claimed that Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and the scale of work add variability. Access to essential resources like gravel also plays a role.
“Variation in project timing and contractual obligations, with the project timeline and specific contractual obligations lead to cost adjustments. Seasonal factors, like rainy periods, may delay work and increase expenses,” she said.
Resource accessibility was cited as another contributing factor. Proximity to services or materials impacts logistics and costs.
Makumbe’s clarification comes amid growing scrutiny of infrastructure projects, including road upgrade, which involves Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs). The ministry emphasises transparency and optimising local resources while pursuing development goals outlined in Vision 2030.
The Lupane-Nkayi-Kwekwe/Kwekwe-Nkayi-Lupane road which is under construction (by Road Trackers Construction, another PPP) is going to reduce the distance from Harare to Victoria Falls by 170 kilometers. Motorists from Harare (for example) will have to turn from Kwekwe and no longer have to go via Bulawayo thereby reducing the distance. The road is expected to be completed in five years.