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NewsDay

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US$380k Byo-Plumtree road fence vandalised

News
A US$380 000 perimeter fence which was recently erected on both sides of the Bulawayo-Plumtree Highway, has been vandalised, resulting in both domestic and wild animals roaming on the highway and causing road traffic accidents, Southern Eye has learnt.

BY PATRICIA SIBANDA

A US$380 000 perimeter fence which was recently erected on both sides of the Bulawayo-Plumtree Highway, has been vandalised, resulting in both domestic and wild animals roaming on the highway and causing road traffic accidents, Southern Eye has learnt.

The fence was erected on both sides of the road to keep animals off the road.

Matabeleland South provincial engineer in the Department of Roads, Joseph Makhokhobe, confirmed the vandalism and theft of the fence.

“The fence was pulled down and stolen. It is quite disturbing how people can vandalise property installed for their own safety,” he said, adding that this had shown that the awareness campaigns on the importance of the barrier prior to its erection failed to yield desired results.

“If I remember very well, I think we did awareness campaigns to remind people that they should be responsible citizens and take very good care of the fence for their own good. We were thinking people would be responsible, but to our surprise, it looks like our efforts came to nothing,” he said.

Makhokhobe said they might re-fence the stretches that have been vandalised, but that would be subject to availability of resources Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe spokesperson Tatenda Chinoda said the Department of Roads was the responsible authority, but his organisation had sourced the fence elsewhere to protect lives.