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NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Mugabe right for demanding ‘business unusual’

Columnists
In response to an article in your Thursday issue titled Mugabe demands ‘business unusual’: President Robert Mugabe is bemoaning vandalism and shoddy workmanship on infrastructure projects.

In response to an article in your Thursday issue titled Mugabe demands ‘business unusual’: President Robert Mugabe is bemoaning vandalism and shoddy workmanship on infrastructure projects.

He is absolutely correct in highlighting these tendencies which are commonplace in Zimbabwe today.

I point to the recent resurfacing of Glenara Road, from Airport Road through to Samora Machel Avenue.

We, the public, were inconvenienced for months, being diverted through Arcadia (the folks in Arcadia must have pulled their hair out during this period) while City of Harare contractors “poured”, and I mean poured, liquid onto the road that vaguely resembled tarmac.

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Now that summer is here, I ask you to drive down this road in the heat of the day — it is liquid we are driving on.

Not only have we, the ratepayers, been shortchanged once again due to vastly inferior products being used, it is also very dangerous because if you slam on brakes you will not stop in this liquid.

One year down the road (no pun intended), this liquid is disappearing. We are taking it away on our tyres.

I ask: Who approved this job? Who checked it and signed off on it? Were tender procedures carried out or comparative quotes obtained?

Perhaps I should not bother to ask for I know the answers.

Please start a column in your good paper that encourages the public to write, highlighting obvious corruption and put a good journalist onto this to expose the individuals responsible.

Terry Kelly