HEALTH and development are symbiotic in nature and no country can prosper when service delivery is in doldrums.
The government is doing great work on the Harare-Beitbridge Highway with the first stretch to Masvingo having been completed.
Many lives have been saved as road traffic accidents have been drastically reduced.
For years, accidents have troubled people, especially along the Harare-Beitbridge Highway.
Many urban roads are in a sorry state, which has led to a surge in the number of accidents, higher transportation costs and reduced quality of life for residents.
It is no secret that a poor road network negatively affects economic activity, worsen poverty levels and exacerbate problems like flooding and traffic congestion.
I was actually surprised one day when I arrived at the Harare-Murehwa toll plaza to find huge potholes cutting across the road at the money-collecting point.
What logic is there in that the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) is busy collecting toll fees yet a road 30 metres away is riddled with potholes?
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There is a very high degree of incompetence on the part of management.
I do not stop to wonder why incompetence is still tolerated in this day and age.
I drove along some roads in the suburbs of Kuwadzana, Mufakose and Dzivarasekwa and realised why it is difficult to maintain vehicles in compact condition.
The previously-tarred roads are now an eyesore, with huge potholes cutting across the width of the road.
Heaps of gravel are a common site along the roads and I wonder why simple roads cannot be permanently mended to reduce pollution, accidents and improve living conditions.
Does the Transport minister know how damaged the roads in the high-density suburbs of big cities are?
Can we dream of Harare being a sunshine city given the dilapidated state of our roads?
We have a whole entity like Zinara collecting revenue everyday, but without notable significant improvement on our roads.
Who is sleeping on duty to make the whole country wail on top of our voices?
Poor roads are, indeed, against good health everywhere.
Deteriorated roads, including potholes and lack of proper road signs, make driving hazardous and increase the risk of accidents.
With the increasing number of mushikashika drivers, everyone is at risk of being involved in an accident or even being killed on our roads.
Statistics show that poor road networks contribute significantly to traffic incidents, resulting in fatalities and injuries.
It is common knowledge that cities and towns with poor roads often lack traffic enforcement and surveillance making pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users particularly vulnerable.
Ambulances are known to sound their sirens to be allowed passage but at times they are deterred by impassable roads and traffic congestion which closes all angles of the road.
Inadequate transport infrastructure thus prevents access to healthcare facilities, markets, educational institutions, hindering social mobility and development.
No one enjoys a poor quality life, hence the need for provision of social services on the part of government.
The country cannot attain Vision 2030 when we have roads that are gradually being turned into gullies and fish ponds in our towns and cities.
Promises have been made about repairing and refurbishing urban roads, alas, nothing has been done yet.
Political grandstanding seems at play, obviously without any tangible results.
People deserve better and it needs all hands on the deck to achieve the best for the nation.
No one seems to pay attention to road infrastructure in towns and cities, yet there is serious vehicular activity.
I believe the Transport ministry, Zinara and local authorities will wake up from a slumber and deliver the best services to the masses.
Resources to repair roads are there, but their use remains questionable.
Please pay urgent attention to urban roads before the rainy season.
