IN response to Highway dualisation costs balloon to $2,4bn: It is likely that the initial $833 million estimation in 2003 was grossly off the mark and the $2,4 billion might be understated given the ingrained corruption in the construction industry.
NYAMASVISVA,OUR READER
If costs for the Harare Airport road are anything to go by, the $3 billion estimation could turn out to be conservative. For such a project, Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who has been given the task of adjudicating the tender, should rope in experts from the World Bank, Development Bank of Southern Africa and the South African equivalent of Zinara, for a review of the tender/bid documents, the case or logic for the dualisation, and the technical and financial adjudication criteria.
The same organisations, Zinara included, should provide experts for the one or two adjudication panels. It is important for the nation to get the right bidders and to ensure costs do not balloon further during the project. $3 billion is, however, a lot of money, and common sense suggests National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) recapitalisation and rehabilitation could be a far better investment, while the highway might just need widening, resurfacing, proper markings, a few more road shoulders and some limited dualisation, say, for a total of up to 200km to cater for black spots and areas of high traffic density. A functioning NRZ will take a massive load off the highway with considerable savings for all, and far fewer lives lost in accidents, as a bonus.
