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Patrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau Chief
Zvishavane Town Council has completed the rehabilitation of 10 kilometres of roads in Mandava and Makwasha high density areas at a cost of $1,2 million.

Town secretary Tinoda Mukutu said the local authority was now moving to the second phase of the road rehabilitation programme where they want to rehabilitation another 10km stretch for $1,2 million.

He said the first phase of the exercise covered road resealing and putting storm water drains and was being done by the contractor, Bitumen World Construction Company.

This follows termination of a road sealing and resealing contract that was awarded to Madz Contractors over poor performance concerns.

The contractor reportedly spent 14 months doing nothing after being awarded tender for the project on May 26 last year.

“Road resurfacing has been completed in Mandava and Makwasha high density areas following the awarding of a tender to Bitumen World Construction Company. We now have a good road network in the high density. The cost for this exercise is $1,2 million and is coming from Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) and from our own source, that is our own account,” he said.

Mr Mukutu said the second phase of the rehabilitation will be done in the remaining roads in Mandava and Makwasha suburbs. He said the roads in the both suburbs have outlived their lifespan and need major rehabilitation work.

“From the second phase we will move to the third and final phase for the year in terms of roads rehabilitation. We have since tarred some roads, which were gravel and when we finish the programme we hope to have tarred all roads in the high and low density suburbs as a way of improving service delivery,” said Mr Mukutu.

He said to enhance service delivery, council had since paid about $600 000 from its estate account for the purchase of roads equipment like motorized graders and water bowsers.

“We await the delivery of a grader as we speak and it will assist us in roads rehabilitation,” said Mr Mukutu.