Submit work plans: Zinara Engineer Moses Chigonyati

Tendai Mugabe, Senior Reporter

The Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) has written to local authorities to submit their routine maintenance work plans for the first quarter of 2020.

The Zinara board led by Engineer Michael Madanha stopped Zinara from implementing road projects after a forensic audit report by Grant Thornton showed that the institution lost $73 million.

As part of a new corporate culture at the institution, the board emphasised that Zinara should stick to its core mandate of funding projects.

Zinara acting chief executive Engineer Moses Chigonyati told The Herald yesterday that the deadline for the submission of the plans was January 24.

“We have written to all road authorities to submit their programmes of work for the first quarter for approval,” said Eng Chigonyati.

“The deadline for the submission is January 24, 2020. Once approved, we will release the funds for routine maintenance.

“The new disbursements are subject to acquittal of the 2019 disbursements where the road authorities are supposed to submit acquittal certificates. After submitting the acquittal certificates, we will then go on the ground to verify the work that has been done.

“We have three types of road maintenance which are routine, periodic and emergency maintenance.

“Periodic maintenance is done after five years, while routine maintenance is done quarterly.”

Eng Chigonyati said most road authorities had been acquitting their disbursements on time.

“The acquittal rate has been encouraging,” he said.

“Others take time to acquit, for various reasons. Some do not have qualified engineers, while others will still be implementing their road works.”

Figures provided to this publication by Zinara showed that the Department of Roads in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development was the biggest beneficiary of the 2019 disbursements followed by urban councils.

In 2019, Zinara disbursed $49 668 270,47 to the Department of Roads, while urban councils were given $38 482 299,90.

Rural District Councils shared $22 702 711,71 and the District Development Fund was given $14 million.

At least $12 311 718,19 was disbursed for special projects and another $2,927 million was disbursed for the Vehicle Inspectorate Department yard.

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