The Sunday News
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
COUNCILLORS in Bulawayo have blamed private companies for the poor state of the roads.
City fathers said private companies were not repairing roads after digging up trenches to lay their pipes and cables.
This was revealed during a full council meeting last week.
Councilors raised concerns over the continued damaging of roads in the city which has caused residents to also continuously complain over the state of roads.
This has also led to the increase of pot holes which are dangerous to both motorists and pedestrians during the rainy season that is fast approaching.
Service providers particularly in the telecommunications sector have been the biggest culprits as they install cables underground to upgrade their systems, councillors said.
Councilors suggested that all service providers that have damaged roads and failed to repair them satisfactorily, must be taken to task and called to repair the roads again.
Councilor Rodney Jele of Nkulumane Ward 22, noted that the last road regrading was done in 2018 and for his constituency, it had been eight years since any works had been done. He suggested that the regrading programme be adjusted and consider the ward too before the end of the year.
Clr Silas Chigora of Ward Four suggested that private players be engaged to assist council in road service delivery also noting that some wards had requested for gravel to fill up the roads themselves.
Council was also told that other residents were advocating for the removal of badly damaged roads and replacing them with gravel which was a better option as they waited for road construction to take place. However, it was understood that the central government opposed the idea of stripping damaged roads.
Clr Mlandu Ncube of Ward one, who is now the deputy Mayor of the City told council that devolution funds had been allocated to some wards for road rehabilitation. He also encouraged the council to have effective monitoring mechanisms in road service delivery.
However, it was noted in the same meeting that BCC had challenges in acquiring new machinery to service roads as the ones they had were constantly breaking down. Most of the plant machinery that they have is awaiting repairs and refurbishment for it to assist in carrying out road works.
Wards were also encouraged to utilise their Ward retention funds to fund some of the outstanding works.
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