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crater . . . Potholes have rendered most Harare roads impassable

Fortious Nhambura Senior Features Writer
Motorists cautiously negotiate a muddy roadside to get to an intersection. They drive and stop, then drive again and halt to give each other enough time to navigate through the pothole-riddled road.

It’s 7am and a long queue has formed on the road that feeds traffic from Kuwadzana into High Glen Road.

Difficult to negotiate, motorists have no choice, but to be patient and avoid potholes that have developed on the main road that leads into the suburb.

Potholes have become the latest menace on Harare’s roads. Driving on the capital’s roads especially those linking the suburbs with city centre has become a nightmare.

Motorists now dread driving in the suburbs and let alone into and out of the city. A day’s drive without hitting one big crater or pothole, a flat tyre or even a pothole induced accident is something to celebrate.

The situation has worsened with the progression of the wet season. Potholes have been growing, by that they have since graduated to become sink-holes, a hole that reaches past the base of the roadway.

Sink-holes are usually bigger and deeper than potholes. Roads in most suburbs among them Glen Norah, Glen View, Kambuzuma, Hatfield, Waterfalls, Marlborough, Mabelreign, Arcadia and Mt Pleasant have become practically impassable.

The uncontrolled entry of heavy vehicles into residential areas has worsened the situation.

Motorists say the potholes are causing untold damage to vehicle suspensions and tyres and it is time the city council and Zinara d0 something to revamp the city’s roads.

In some cases, motorists trying to avoid these potholes have been involved in accidents, leading to loss of precious lives.

Unfortunately for the City of Harare, tasked with fixing urban roads, the song is lack funds and authorities just watch as the problem gets worse.

In the past, workmen would occasionally fill the potholes with gravel.

Motorists do not know who to blame or demand compensation in the event of accidents or damage to vehicles. The buck has been passed between the city authorities and Zinara.

Mr Banny Mharakurwa of Highlands had no kind words for both the roads and local authorities.

“They must shape up or just ship out. They have no justification to continue drawing money from the public purse. Surely how do we explain a situation where we have administrators that do not listen or care a hoot for the expectant public,” Mr Mharakurwa said.

Mr Last Machona of Marlborough said: “These authorities are busy collecting money for a service they do not want to deliver. Why stop cars looking for road permits and insurance while ignoring the condition of the road. Zinara is fast becoming useless and its ineptitude is being abused by the city council which is pointing its fingers to the road authority.

“Surely, how does someone explain a situation where council cries that it does not have money and yet it wastes money on non-core business like sponsoring a football team? What value is the team bringing to the residents?”

Motorists are appealing to the Ministries of Local Government, Public Works and Urban Development and Transport and Infrastructure Development to come down hard on these authorities that are failing to deliver on their mandate.

“Harare and Zinara are being unfair to us. We pay taxes, toll fees and service charges towards repairing of our roads. Can both the city and Zinara authorities show us how they are spending the funds they are collecting?

“These authorities are good at forcing motorists and residents to pay, but do not care about the corresponding service on the roads. What is happening at Zinara is most welcome and those found guilty of embezzling public funds must repay,” said Malcolm Zimbeva of Kambuzuma Section 5.

Many drivers have escaped death by a whisker after hitting potholes that are widening by each day. In some areas like Glen View 2 the tarmac is almost gone with some roads entirely turning into gravel strips with occasional patches of tar.

Ms Plaxedes Giwa of Glen View once lost control of her Honda Fit after hitting a pothole and only ended in a puddle on the verge of the road.

She had to be towed out of the ditch.

“I was lucky the car did not roll over. It was raining and I could not see properly. I hit the pothole swerved to the right and in a bid to control the car I found myself in a pool of water. A kombi had to pull me off the ditch but for a fee.

“I sought assistance to change one of the wheels that had been punctured. What disturbs me most is seeing council officials driving into town in brand new 4X4 vehicles while the ratepayer is crying for service.

“There are no council repair teams on the roads or even signs to warn motorists of the impending danger and reduce speed so as to navigate the potholes. The city council seems not to care. This dereliction of duty on the part of the council is appalling,” said Ms Giwa. Ms Edith Garaba of Chishawasha said lack of innovation had resulted in council waiting for the city road network to deteriorate to this level.

“Is the city telling us that it cannot attract suitors to rehabilitate these roads? I’m informed that council charges property tax which has a component that goes into road maintenance and rehabilitation and gets money from Zinara. Where is the money going?

“The residents have done a lot of road repairs patching up potholes, but the council has neglected to account for the money it is generating and openly shows disregard of residents by refusing to openly engage on such issues,” she said.

“The intended on-going pothole patching is a temporary measure to allow the city to source reconstruction funding.”

Residents associations believe the city roads have deteriorated to disturbing levels and something needs to be done.

They said a solution must be found while the city is working out modalities to raise US$400 million needed to the upgrading the city’s road network.

Combined Harare Residents Trust’s Tendai Chada said the city must prioritise road rehabilitation and not human resources and administration as is the case now.

“We know they are not getting much from Zinara, maybe 20 percent of what they used to get when they were licensing authority for vehicles. That is too little to fund the road rehabilitation exercise.

“Unfortunately it seems the few that they are getting is not being translated to improving the city’s road network,” he said.

Harare Resident Trust director Precious Shumba said: “The potholes are now a menace. The roads have been deteriorating over the years and it seems the council was unfazed. Now so much work has to be done and that requires a lot of money.”

City roads have had no proper maintenance over the last 15 to 20 years due to economic challenges and as such are now in need of total reconstruction.

City principal communications officer Michael Chideme said council was working with Zinara to do pothole patching, road markings and fill road verges.

“As things stand a complete overhaul is the only solution to our problematic roads. As you will appreciate the city’s roads are overdue for an overhaul. Funding for that kind of work is not yet available.

“The pothole patcher is in use. The magnitude of the problem (pothole) overshadows the work of the patcher,” he said.

Mr Chideme said Harare was still negotiating for a loan for the rehabilitation of the city’s more than 5 000km road network.

“Funding of that magnitude involves a lot of diligent work to avoid problems in the future. We are even open to private sector participation. Indeed if we get acceptable offers there is nothing to stop the city from working with the private sector to rehabilitate the roads. In fact public private partnerships are the way to go in infrastructure development,” Mr Chideme said.

According to research, potholes occur when extreme shifts in weather patterns leave the ground unstable and prone to splitting. They are also caused by different weights from vehicles.

Potholes can be a sign of high traffic volumes, roadbed base failure, and drainage problems near or under the roadway, petroleum products such as diesel or gasoline spilling on the asphalt, frost boils, and utility failures.

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