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Midlands Bureau
Silobela legislator Mthokozisi Manoki-Mpofu has hailed Government for the timely upgrade of the Kwekwe-Nkayi-Lupane Road where significant progress has been made.

The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development last year embarked on a road infrastructural development project with a view of upgrading major roads in the country.

Due to lack of resources, among other factors, the road works were shelved last year, only to resume this month after Government managed to source resources.

Kwekwe-Nkayi-Lupane Road, which will have tar mark, will become the shortest route linking Kwekwe and Victoria Falls.

When completed, the road is expected to reduce the distance between Harare and Bulawayo by more than 100 kilometres.

The project is one of the four major projects in the province under the programme which started late last year following President Mnangagwa’s call to rehabilitate infrastructure across the country, said Cde Manoki-Mpofu.

He hailed Government for not giving up on the project saying after the rehab work, the road will boost business in Silobela and its surrounding area.

“This is indeed a timely intervention by Government as it will go a long way in boosting business in Silobela, Zhombe and Nkayi,” he said.

“It creates a bridge that has been missing for a while now. This is a farming area and most of the times it becomes impassable during rainy season and it hampers trucks from reaching intended areas for supply of inputs.”

Midlands roads engineer Isaac Mafurira said work had resumed on the road after Government managed to secure another contractor who is in possession of rollers and graders that are the major requirements of the project.

“We managed to resume work after securing the services of Pump Up Engineering Investments who are in possession of the equipment that we required,” he said.

“We also managed to mobilise most of the required material and work is going on smoothly at the moment. Already about 1,5 kilometres out of the 14 kilometres to be tarred, are ready for prime surfacing.”

Eng Mafurira said they were still facing minor challenges with fuel which is still in short supply across the country.