Harare awaits $240m Zinara windfall for road repairs

By The Standard | Feb. 1, 2022 | 1 Min read

Last year, government declared all roads in the country a state of national disaster. It then allocated $480 million towards rehabilitation work.

BY HARRIET CHIKANDIWA/SHARON BUWERIMWE

ACTING Harare mayor Stewart Mutizwa has revealed that the city was expecting $240 million from the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) which would be used to repair 10 roads measuring 31,4km.

Last year, government declared all roads in the country a state of national disaster. It then allocated $480 million towards rehabilitation work.

In 2021, Zinara disbursed $199 million for road maintenance and reseal programmes.

Speaking after touring Harare roads yesterday, Mutizwa said the city’s roads were in a deplorable state.

“The roads in Harare are in a deplorable state. This year, we are targeting to work on 10 roads (31,4km), and so we are expecting $958 million from Zinara of which 25% ($240 million) will go towards routine maintenance, and the balance will go towards road rehabilitation (reconstruction and reseal). We expect $150 million from intergovernmental fiscal transfers, but the total amount dedicated towards road programmes is $1,2 billion,” he said.

Mutizwa said while major roads were being taken care of, there was need to also rehabilitate feeder roads, which were a hazard for drivers, especially during the rainy season.

He said other major projects in Harare include construction of the Mbudzi inter-change, widening of Warren Park and Kuwadzana traffic circles, the Westgate traffic circle, and widening of key roads such as Solomon Mujuru Drive, and repairs and maintenance of roads in Greater Harare under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme 2.