The Sunday News
Sharon Chimenya, Sunday News Correspondent
THE Chivi- Mhandamabwe road that had stalled due to lack of funding is set to be completed by the end of this month with the contractor committed to completing two kilometres per day.
The road rehabilitation commenced last year and had stalled due to financial constraints with 12 kilometres out of 48 kilometres remaining. Last year during the commission of the Chombwe piped water scheme, President Mnangagwa instructed the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to avail funds for the completion of the Chivi-Mhandamabwe road which is key for economic activities.
Speaking during the visit at the Chombwe piped water scheme last week, Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said his ministry has sourced funds as instructed by the President and the contractor was committed to complete the stretch by the end of this month.
“On 23 December the President came here and said Minister of Finance look for funding and complete the Chivi- Mhandamabwe road. I was not there but I was told and I sourced the funds for the completion of the road and now the road construction is in progress. I spoke to the Bitumen Contractor and he said on a daily basis they can cover up to two kilometres, so by the end of this month, April the road would have been completed. That’s what our President does he leads from the front,” he said.
Prof Ncube said he was pleased by the progress so far and the project was another sign that many projects can be carried out by resources mobilised locally. The road is mainly used by the heavy cargo trucks serving mining giants such as Unki and Mimosa by linking them to the South African market and provides the shortest route from Beitbridge to Northern areas of Zimbabwe which include Gweru and other mining towns of Kwekwe and Kadoma.
The Chivi turnoff had been identified as a sight for the development of the smart city concept that will leverage opportunities presented by the Tugwi-Mukosi dam and Chivi- Mhandamabwe-Tokwe road.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance has this year budgeted for the redesigning of the Chilonga bridge in Chiredzi South with plans to start construction work next year. The people in the area risk crossing the flooded and crocodile infested river during the rainy season using canoes.
“I visited Chilonga last year in December, it’s quite a spectacle and it has to be fixed. The citizens in the area have to detour 60 km just to get access services yet that bridge cuts their distance by exactly that 60 km. This year we have budgeted for it to be redesigned. We are focusing on the design but the real construction should start next year,” he said.
