Zimpapers Logo

Minister Joram Gumbo

Herald Reporter
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joram Gumbo has embarked on a countrywide tour of assessing the state of the roads with a view to see areas that require urgent attention.

His first stop-over was Mashonaland Central where he toured the Bindura-Matepatepa and Shamva-Bindura roads in the company of the Zimbabwe National Road Administration board chairman Mr Albert Mugabe and acting chief executive Engineer Moses Juma.

Mashonaland Central Minister of State Advocate Martin Dinha was also part of the team.

Today, Minister Gumbo will be in Manicaland province before he visits Masvingo tomorrow.

Addressing local authorities from Mashonaland Central in Bindura yesterday, Minister Gumbo said President Mugabe was concerned with the state of the country’s roads and tangible work should be done on the ground.

He said, in line with the country’s economic blueprint Zim-Asset, his ministry wanted to contribute meaningfully in creating the promised 2,2 million jobs through embarking on massive road works among other projects.

“The President is quite concerned with the state of our roads, and I am urging local authorities to properly use funds from the Zimbabwe National Road Administration,” he said. “We are here to give you maximum support to ensure that our roads are refurbished. Mashonaland Central is the country’s bread basket and it should have good (a) road network linking it to all parts of the country.”

Minister Gumbo said the thrust of his visit was to have an appreciation of the state of the country’s roads and the kind of assistance required.

He urged local authorities to work together with the ministry’s department of roads to address some of the challenges faced by local authorities.

Zinara board chairman Mr Mugabe, said the road fund was targeting to raise $183 million this year up from last year’s $134 million. The money, Mr Mugabe said, would be disbursed to local authorities on a quarterly basis provided that they acquit previous disbursements.

“This year we are expecting to raise $183 million,” he said.

The local authorities asked for an exemption on tollgates to which Mr Mugabe said if the idea got a buy-in from other provinces during their countrywide tour, it would be implemented.

They also expressed concern over the late disbursement of the road fund even after acquittals had been made.

On this Mr Mugabe said: “We have noted your concern, and we are going to see how best we can address that. “The problem that we have is that at times we do not get the money at once and once resources permit, we will make the disbursements early.”