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Farai Dauramanzi recently in Kadoma

The granting of road construction contracts to local companies is proving to be a blessing to young entrepreneurs who are now growing their small businesses into big corporates.

The Second Republic adopted to award contracts to local companies in the ongoing massive road rehabilitation works under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP 2), in line with President Mnangagwa’s mantra that “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo.”

Local players such as Bitumen World, Fossil, Masimba Construction, Tensor, Exodus and many others have been at the forefront of roads rehabilitation under the ERRP2 programme.

Frogmerge Construction employees work on one of the culverts of a road under reconstruction in Rimuka, Kadoma.

However, new players such as Frogmerge Construction led by young entrepreneur Shingi Vhiriri aged 38 is one of the start-ups that has managed to grow into a formidable force to reckon with in the road construction sector.

The company has successfully undertaken various road construction contracts which include St Patricks Road in Hatfield, roads in Machipisa – Highfields, Chitungwiza, Waterfalls and many other areas, proving that local companies are capable of doing decent works.

In an interview with the Herald in Kadoma’s Rimuka suburb where Frogmerge Construction is rehabilitating a stretch of Nyambo and Parirenyatwa Road, Engineer Vhiriri thanked President Mnangagwa’s administration for giving local contractors a chance to grow their businesses.

“We are thankful to the President for giving us a chance to showcase our abilities as local companies and also affording us the opportunity to acquire more equipment,” said Engineer Vhiriri.

Frogmerge Construction equipment and employees work on one of the roads under rehabilitation in Rimuka, Kadoma

The young road contractor said that RBZ’s auction system has capacitated local companies to buy equipment from outside the country.

“We started road construction in 2018 and right now we have got new compliments of road construction equipment coming in and the company is growing,” he said.

Engineer Vhiriri explained that Frogmerge Construction now has a staff compliment of over 100 full-time employees as well as many others who are employed from areas that the company will be carrying out road works.

“The granting of road construction tenders to local players have enabled us to create employment. We have managed to engage young engineers and also give jobs to both males and females,” he explained.

Many developmental projects are being carried out around the country, in line with the Second Republic’s Vision 2030 and NDS1 programmes, and local companies have been thrust at the forefront.