Kwekwe to engage firms in road rehab Minister Ncube

Michael Magoronga Midlands Correspondent
Kwekwe City Town Clerk Mr Emmanuel Musara says they are planning to engage local companies whose trucks contribute to road destruction to participate in rehabilitation of the roads.

Mr Musara was responding to Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs Owen Ncube, who had asked why roads in Kwekwe where in a dilapidated state during a meeting with the local authority last week.

“I want to know why the roads in Kwekwe have so many potholes, why are they not like those in Gweru, yet I understand you are getting money from ZINARA just like any other council,” Minster Ncube asked.

In response, the town clerk said there were more than 500 trucks that the companies like Zimasco, Portnex and Africa Chrome Fields (ACF) use to ferry chrome, which damage the city’s roads.

“We are facing challenges with trucks that ferry chrome, especially for Portnex, Zimasco and AFC. These companies have more than 500 trucks among them that they use to ferry chrome and some of their products. These are the same trucks that destroy our roads,” said Mr Musara.

He said they have tried to rehabilitate roads, but they were being destroyed continuously by the trucks.

“We have tried to rehabilitate the City-Mbizo Road and Maunganidze Roads, but within days, it will be full of potholes due to these trucks that use the roads on a daily basis,” said Mr Musara.

He said council was contemplating approaching the companies so that they agree on a fee that each truck would pay per trip.

“We are in the process of approaching the companies so that they pay say $5 per trip so that we channel that money towards road repairs,” he said.

He also said they have since banned the trucks from using routes that pass through the Central business District (CBD) as a way of protecting the roads.

“We want the trucks and long  distance buses to use routes that do not cut through the CBD so that we maintain our roads in the CBD,” he said.

Last month, Zimasco’s marketing and administration director Ms Clara Sadomba said the company had resorted to using road transport due to shortage of rail wagons to transport their product to Mozambique.

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