The deteriorating condition of the Bulawayo–Victoria Falls Road came back into the spotlight in Parliament on Wednesday after Hwange East MP Joseph Bonda said poor roads in his constituency were making some communities virtually unreachable.
Bonda raised the matter as a point of privilege, saying the state of roads in Hwange East was no longer simply an inconvenience for motorists but was affecting his ability to carry out his parliamentary responsibilities.
“Traversing Hwange constituencies, particularly Hwange East, has become impassable and it is actually shortchanging the residents of Hwange East on representation and feedback from their representatives.”
He said potholes and gullies had made it difficult for him to travel into some communities to consult villagers.
“Some communities are no longer reachable due to potholes and gullies that have developed on the roads. That makes it so impossible for me to visit them and actually consult them on my parliamentary duties.”
Bonda called for Government to accelerate road rehabilitation, warning that communities could be left behind in development programmes.
“I, therefore, pray that the Government speeds up the refurbishment of the roads to avoid leaving behind the people of Hwange in development projects.”
But it was his description of the Bulawayo–Victoria Falls highway that brought the wider regional implications of the problem into sharp focus.
“Practically, driving on Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road at the moment is like pushing a camel through the eye of a needle.”
The Temporary Speaker agreed that the road required urgent attention and said Parliament had already requested a ministerial statement on progress.
“I had already asked for a ministerial statement to that effect because that is a very pertinent road as it leads to one of the Seven Wonders of the World. We need to take care of that.”
The Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Joshua Sacco, said he would pass the concerns to the responsible minister.
“I will convey the message as you have given it to me.”
A road bigger than Victoria Falls
The significance of the road goes far beyond its connection to Victoria Falls.
The 440-kilometre highway is one of Zimbabwe’s key tourism and trade corridors, linking Bulawayo with Victoria Falls and providing a route towards Zambia, Namibia and Botswana. Government itself has described the highway as a critical tourism and trade artery.
It is also a critical road for Hwange’s economy.
The highway carries heavy traffic associated with the coal and energy industries in Hwange, as well as trucks transporting goods and tourists travelling to Victoria Falls.
For villagers living along the route, however, the road has a much more immediate significance.
It is the route used to reach schools, hospitals, markets and administrative centres.
When the road becomes difficult to travel, the consequences can be measured not only in travel time but also in access to emergency services.
That is particularly important in a region where patients requiring specialist treatment are often referred to Bulawayo.
The pressure on the road’s medical access role was underscored earlier this year when the Presidential Air Ambulance service began operations in Victoria Falls. The service was introduced partly against the reality that patients in the region could face long journeys by road or lengthy waits for aircraft from elsewhere.
Eight contractors, but a slow journey
Government has divided the 440-kilometre rehabilitation project among eight contractors.
Few weeks ago, Government said 57.2 kilometres had been opened to traffic.
The figure illustrate the scale of the challenge: nearly 60 kilometres had been opened on a road stretching about 440 kilometres.
And by September, the issue had shifted from simply the pace of construction to contractor payments.
A report published this month quoted Transport Minister Felix Mhona saying that only one or two of the eight contractors were working, and those working were moving slowly because they had not been paid. (The Observer)