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George Maponga in Masvingo
Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs Josaya Hungwe has lauded Government’s plans to cancel Austrian company Geiger International’s deal for the Beitbridge-Harare Highway dualisation project. President Mnangagwa announced last week that Cabinet had resolved to institute legal processes to cancel the deal over interminable delays in undertaking the project.
He said Government would call for new bids for the dualisation of the road.

Government argues that although the project was commissioned at Chaka Business Centre in May last year, there hasn’t been any demonstrable progress.

Minister Hungwe said last week that cancelling the tender was long overdue.
He said the firm had kept the Zimbabwean people waiting for an unreasonably long period.

“‘We are very happy as the people of Masvingo that Government finally saw the light and kicked out Geiger International from the highway dualisation project because the company did not show any keenness to start the project,” said Minister Hungwe.

“I want to applaud President Mnangagwa and Cabinet for the bold decision to cancel that tender because as Masvingo, we want the dualisation project to be completed yesterday.

“We were pinning our hopes on Geiger to finally deliver a dualised highway and reduce deaths of our people in road accidents.”
Government, he said, should urgently identify another contractor because people’s expectations had already been raised.

“At the same time, I think as the people of Masvingo, we are very unhappy with what Geiger did because the whole nation was anticipating something big when the company openly claimed they were going to start work soon during the ground-breaking exercise that was held last year,” Minister Hungwe said.

“Our people were expecting jobs and contracts through the highway project and some had even made investments anticipating Geiger to start work not knowing that the company did not have capacity.”

Geiger reportedly dispatched its engineers to Masvingo province last month as it promised to kick-start the project.
The team met senior Government officials in Masvingo and outlined plans to establish three sites that would serve as bases for its workers along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway.

Businessman and Masvingo constructor Mr Benjamin Mazarire of Summerton Quarries said local business were anxiously waiting for the chance to contribute to the project hence bold decisions have to be made.

“Most businesses in the construction industry are waiting in the wings to tap on the 40 percent share for locals in the $1 billion highway project and we were pinning our hopes on Geiger thinking the company was finally going to start work, but nothing materialised as they kept on dithering and as players in the Masvingo construction industry, we feel Government made the right move,” said Mr Mazarire.

The decision by Government to flex its muscle, he added, showed that the new administration was serious about progress.
“The move by Government on Geiger also sends a message to potential contractors that Government does not brook false promises. We hope a serious contractor will be identified soon,” said Mr Mazarire.

The Harare-Beitbridge Highway dualisation project is touted as a key project that could help stem carnage on the major highway, which serves both the country and the region.