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Lovemore Chikova

Assistant Editor

“They say construction is loud and dirty,” Edward Chikonde, who was born and grew up in the Zivuku area near Ngundu Growth Point along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway says when talking about rehabilitation work being undertaken on the road.

“Perhaps whoever made that observation failed to describe what happens after the work is done. Since the construction work on this highway started, we have witnessed both sides of construction work.

“It was loud and dirty when the work was being done, but now we have a clean, serene, wide, smart and beautiful road that came out of the noise and dirty that accompanied the construction. 

“We never imagined this road was going to change.”

The road’s stretch which covers the Zivuku area, from Maringire Business Centre to near Ngundu Growth Point, about 25 kilometres, is one of those completed sections.

The construction work involves laying a completely new surface from Harare to Beitbridge, about 600 kilometres.

The highway is being widened from seven metres to 12,5 metres, with clearly marked lanes that make driving an enjoyable experience.

It is one of the biggest infrastructural projects being undertaken by President Mnangagwa’s administration, and the results are there for all to see.

Several sections on the road have been given a completely new look, while work on several other areas is ongoing.

At 40, Chikonde says he has seen the Harare-Beitbridge Highway deteriorate with each passing year, riddled with potholes that have claimed several lives.

The road has numerous hair-rising sharp curves, in addition to the menace posed by the potholes.

But now, thanks to the advent of the New Dispensation, massive construction work is being undertaken on the road, soothing the fears that Chikonde and other villagers around this area have had about the future of the highway.

The villagers’ biggest dread was that the highway would one day simply disappear, and they felt justified considering the sorry state it was now in.

The Harare-Beitbridge highway is a lifeblood for the region, with goods worth millions of dollars being transported from several countries north of the Zambezi River to South Africa and its sea ports.

More inward bound goods depart South Africa and its ports destined for the same countries north of the Zambezi River.

Apart from the regional strategic position of the highway, locals who live along the road reap benefits of the business being brought by those passing through their areas.

They sell various wares at business centres and townships littered along the road to haulage truck drivers and other motorists.

“We watched helplessly as this road started to diminish both in size and quality,” says Chikonde. 

“There was nothing we could do, but as the road progressed in deteriorating, more accidents started occurring around this area.

“I think you should remember the Megalink bus accident that killed 21 people just before Ngundu in 2012. That was one of the worst and well-known, but many other accidents occurred, claiming lives with each passing day.

“We are now seeing the results of hard work by President Mnangagwa’s government. This road is never going to be the same. 

A completed section of the road.

“This section of the road was expertly re-constructed and we have witnessed fine work that has transformed our road and allayed our fears that it might actually vanish.” 

Well, travelling along the Harare-Beitbridge highway will leave one in awe because of the massive construction work taking place.

In fact, construction of the Harare-Beitbridge highway is the biggest road construction project undertaken in the country since independence in terms of both size and funding.

What makes the work more remarkable is that construction is being done using local funding and local companies.

This brings another important aspect in the development of Zimbabwe — that locals can actually drive the trajectory for the country without entirely depending on foreigners.

Government grew impatient with Austrian firm Geiger International and then with Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Group Limited (AFECC) of China, who failed to kick start the work.

It then opted for five local companies – Tensor Systems, Masimba Construction, Fossil Contractors, Exodus Company and Bitumen World.

They were awarded contracts for working on particular sections of the road and now what has been done so far is very impressive.

The rehabilitation, widening and upgrading of the highway being done by the local companies has so far covered more than 200 kilometres, with the firms being paid in local currency.

Long stretches like that from Chivhu to Mvuma, almost 50 kilometres, now boost of a new surface, while other smaller stretches have been completed at different sections of the road.

From Harare to Chivhu, some parts of the roads already have a new surface, while construction work is at an advanced stage on many others.

Very soon, the stretch will be done.

Work is also going on at various sections of the road from Harare to Beitbridge, involving removing the old surface.

In some cases where the earth is not suitable, the firms are digging it up and bringing in appropriate soil that will strengthen the work.

The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development has made clear its intentions to ensure the works are done perfectly and according to international standards.

A number of people along the highway have been employed for the road works.

Elliot Mafunya of Mwenezi is one such person.

“I was one of those who got employed on the road project and there are several others I know who are now working on the road,” he said.

“This road rehabilitation has changed our status and we can now fend for our families. We will tell our grandchildren about this huge transformation that is taking part on the road.

“We will be glad to inform them that we were part of the project and we fully participated in this huge development project.”

The highway rehabilitation is an epitome of President Mnangagwa’s pragmatic and visionary leadership.

It is a major stride towards attainment of Vision 2030 of attainment of an upper middle income economy as infrastructure development plays an important role in economic development.

Work on the road is progressing well, with the contractors on course to meet their targets of finishing the job next year.

The contractors are now on the second phase of the work, which will see more kilometres being completed soon.

The New Dispensation is on point as road infrastructure is important in linking producers to markets, workers to jobs, students to schools and the sick to hospitals.

The road works include phased dualisation, rehabilitation and widening of the existing road in line with standards set by the Southern Africa Transport and Communications Commission.