The ruling Zanu Pf party says they will continue to improve infrastructural development in urban areas until 2023 a step which the party predicts will likely lessen the infrastructural hardships that is being experienced in towns.
Zanu Pf reiterated that the ongoing program is meant to alleviate urban citizens livelihoods whilst accusing the opposition party of failing to develop urban areas.
Various roads in Harare Central Business District {CBD} as well as its suburbs are marred with potholes, however the ruling party claims that MDC is responsible because they run urban constituencies.
Speaking after the 354th session of the ZANU PF Politburo in Harare on Saturday, acting National Commissar Cde Patrick Chinamasa said the party was targeting urban seats to rescue residents from the MDC’s inefficiencies, which have brought hardships onto their doorsteps.
“Central Government has intervened to save people in urban areas through various programmes, which include widespread road repairs, which are underway.
“In the past, the MDC has tried to take credit whenever things go right, and whenever things are bad, they shift the blame to the Government. It must be well-documented that the current progress being seen in cities and towns is a result of the Government, and we are going to continue until 2023, when we take over the running of cities,” said Chinamasa.
Massive strides are being recorded in rehabilitating the country’s roads under the second phase of the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme, resulting in major facelifts for most roads in high-density suburbs.
With Phase 2 of the ERRP in full swing, the government budgeted $33,6 billion for road rehabilitation, and the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) has already disbursed of $2,3 billion.
Under the law, municipalities have a lot of local autonomy, including their roads, but the central government by declaring a state of disaster could then legally intervene in the cities and towns and start repairing and even rebuilding urban roads.
In Harare, over 40 roads have so far been rehabilitated, up from an initial target of 32.
Nevertheless, despite efforts by the government to fully improve road infrastructure across the country, the road rehabilitation process is going to consume a lot of time because many urban roads have potholes.
The government implored Bitumen company which is currently refurbishing Chitungwiza road from Coca-Cola to Maruta an area which has been marred with potholes.
