Slow progress in road rehabilitation – Zinara

Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) board chairman, Engineer Michael Madanha says despite the slow pace at which the country’s roads are being rehabilitated, progress has been made and much of the road network is now in good condition.

Engineer Madanha said rehabilitation of the roads is being hampered by poor funding.

The Zinara boss said the roads authority is not generating enough revenue to repair the roads. It is estimated that it costs between US$15 and US$20 billion to revamp the Southern African country’s entire road network.

“We need about $15 billion to fix our roads and yet we are not generating anything near that figure. But lets appreciate what is happening with the little amount of money that we are getting,” said Engineer Madanha.

He said there is a marked improvement in the state of the country’s roads compared to five years ago when the roads were full of pot holes and some of them were impassable.

“I don’t agree with the notion that our roads are not improving. They are improving but at a slow pace because the funds are not enough. I think in the whole country the roads project is one of the most visible,” he highlighted.

Engineer Madanha urged local authorities to find other sources of generating revenue rather than just waiting for Zinara funds.

“However, local authorities should also look outside the box and try to come up with other sources of revenue and not just wait for Zinara because it does not have enough funds to satisfy our requirements in as much as road construction is concerned,” he explained.