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Lloyd Gumbo Senior Reporter

President Mugabe is expected to officially launch the dualisation of the Beitbridge-Harare and Harare-Chirundu highways by mid-next month, while actual construction of the road must start before Independence Day celebrations, parliamentarians have heard.

Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Dr Joram Gumbo told a parliamentary portfolio committee that an independent contractor would supervise the project to avoid the country being short-changed by poor workmanship, like what happened on the Plumtree-Harare-Mutare Road rehabilitation project.

The committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development chaired by Zanu-PF MP for Chegutu West, Cde Dexter Nduna, sought to know the criteria to be used in selecting sub-contractors for the Beitbridge-Harare-Mutare dualisation project.

But Dr Gumbo said the company that won the tender, Geiger International of Austria, would be responsible for sub-contracting local companies.

He said the company would advertise through the press calling for applications.

Cde Nduna asked if there were any time-frames that would guide Geiger International in advertising for applications.

“We are hoping that His Excellency is going to do the ground-breaking ceremony, which will trigger commencement of construction of this road during the end of this month, or during the first two weeks of March,” said Dr Gumbo.

“The spot where the ground-breaking ceremony is going to take place has already been identified. The engineers from Geiger International and their contracted company, some of them are already in the country. Things are moving. Before you go for Independence, work will have started. That is the timeline that I can give you.”

Dr Gumbo said he could not go into the nitty-gritties of the project without clearance from the President.

Details to follow….