by Gideon Madzikatidze/Simbarashe Sithole
HARARE – Government is gearing up to fix Zimbabwe’s roads, especially in urban areas like Harare and Bulawayo, as Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister, Honourable Advocate Felix Mhona, met with local authorities and road officials to discuss solutions for maintaining roads.
Speaking in Harare during a high level meeting which resulted in a collaboration to address road issues nationwide, Mhona said the development knows no boundaries and political differences, but his main objective is to continue aligning with President Mnangagwa’s vision of “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo” (A country is built by its people).
“Our main aim for this meeting is to make sure that we advance into further realisation towards President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s vision of Nyika Inovakwa Nevene vayo and also making sure that his mantra of leaving no one and no place behind continues to be realised. We are leaving no one behind including local and major road authorities countrywide, connecting and maintaining city roads as well as major roads,” Mhona said.
Furthermore, “Regardless of our differences in ideologies or geography, we are one as Zimbabweans and it is us who use the same infrastructure in doing our daily businesses. We need to collaborate and make sure that all our roads are maintained without blaming anyone, but just uniting in developing, maintaining and construct our roads for our citizens to realise ease of doing business through networking, improve trade, movement of goods and services, among other essential activities,” Mhona added.
Mhona also paid tribute to citizens including media, content creators, comedians and celebrities whose duty is to play watchdog role and giving them sleepless nights over some roads defects, claiming it is important to put him and other officials to task wherever they feel citizens are shortchanged.
“We also applaud the media, comedians, celebrities and content creators whose works are a wake up call whenever we fail to deliver. It is part of your duty to make follow up on all defects so that we correct or revisit any abnormality in a manner which takes us (your leadership) to account for any circumstance that derail development,” he said.
“You are indeed hold us to account and we really appreciate. Everything which you post, we are acting fast to correct the abnormalities as a team,” Mhona said.
Meanwhile, City of Bulawayo Mayor, Councillor David Coltart has welcomed the initiative claiming it comes at the right time when citizens need to do business with efficiency.
“We really appreciate the the government’s quest through Honourable Minister Mhona for considering this collaboration at a right time when our citizens and urban populace need service delivery which should commensurate with local road infrastructure existing. This collaboration will surely transform and improve our road infrastructure,” Coltart said.
“During our discussions, we have realised that the government is genuinely geared towards the livelihoods of every citizen regardless of geography,” Coltart added.
Coltart has also announced that there is need for local authorities to partner with Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to organise awareness campaigns to restore urban hygienic status where littering was regarded as a taboo.
“During our discussions, we also noted that it is important to engage with some line Ministries including Primary and Secondary Education to embark on educational awareness programmes from early childhood to Primary levels since they are the ones involved too much in littering because of their lack of knowledge on the essence of environmental management. We would would do this through multi-stakehollders engagements until we fight existing urban rot amongst our cities,” Coltart said.
Representing Harare Mayor during the meeting, Councillor Prince Mutebuka concurred with Coltart that the collaboration is a heartfelt development for local authorities especially Harare and Bulawayo since they have bulky citizens and ranked as most destinations for country’s economic activities.
“Indeed the discussions during the meeting is a signal that our government is committed to ensure there is improvement in our urban road network and restoration of dignity within urban infrastructure. We have all agreed that the initiative is a genuine one for Zimbabwe and her citizenry,” Mutebuka said.
“There will definitely restoration of urban and rural roads networks glory. Maintaining road infrastructure would ensure ease of doing business,” Mutebuka added.
This move comes after President Mnangagwa extended the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme Phase 2 (ERRP2) to 2026, aiming to create a modern transport network that positions Zimbabwe as a regional logistics hub. The programme, launched in 2021, has evolved into a long-term infrastructure revival initiative driving economic transformation under Vision 2030.
The collaboration brings high expectations for improvements on major highways and urban roads, with a focus on drainage and safety infrastructure along economic corridors connecting Zimbabwe to the Southern African Development Community (SADC).