BY SILAS NKALA THE Hwange Local Board (HLB) says it has covered 40% of its phase two road rehabilitation project under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP).
Town secretary Ndumiso Mdlalose said most of the work was covered under phase one of the project, while the aim was to repair most roads before the onset of the rainy season.
Mdlalose said the council had covered significant ground in terms of clearing and resuscitation of storm water drains, roadside vegetation, as well as pothole patching, which are all projects under the ERRP.
“We are, however, a bit behind on the roads that we have targeted for resealing and reconstruction. One of the stretches we resealed needs some remedial work and it’s been more of a learning curve to us,” he said.
Mdlalose urged the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) to expeditiously disburse funds to local authorities for them to meet their set targets on road rehabilitation.
Zinara adopted a result-based funding model for ERRP.
According to the model, a funder makes payment to an agent who assumes responsibility for achieving pre-defined results.
“The new funding model, which is output-based, is good because it forces contractors to deliver and it will see to it that projects are completed,” Mdlalose said.
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“One can’t claim for unfinished work. However, this wasn’t communicated in advance and in some cases, local authorities had engaged some contractors and these were looking at being paid bit by bit as was being done in the past.”
Phase one of the project entailed roadside vegetation clearing, stormwater drain clearing and resuscitation of roads and pothole filling.
Secretary in Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga’s office, Godfrey Chanakira, said councils should contract companies with the best workmanship for roadworks.
Chanakira said he would ensure that Zinara urgently disbursed funds for roads rehabilitation.
He was part of the team that toured ERRP phase two projects in Matabeleland North province in the company of Provincial Affairs minister Richard Moyo, provincial development co-ordinator Sithandiwe Ncube, Zinara and District Development Fund, as well as officials from the Transport ministry.
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