Zimbabean News You Can Trust
The Government of Zimbabwe has promised to continue the Emergency Roads Rehabilitation Programme, even after the end of the upcoming 44th Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit, when President Emmerson Mnangagwa is expected to take over the rotational Chairmanship of the regional body for a year, starting August 17, 2024.
Speaking on the road awareness campaign for the August holiday in Harare last Tuesday, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister, Felix Mhona, assured the nation that the current road rehabilitation is an ongoing process that will cover both rural and urban areas.
“Under the rehabilitation program, we have seen the rehabilitation of roads in line with what President Emmerson Mnangagwa has termed ‘Nyika Inovakwa Nevene Vayo’, and we will continue even after the SADC summit, accelerating road rehabilitation and even approaching our rural constituencies,” he said.
Labor, Economists and African Democrats (LEAD) leader, Linda Masarira, welcomed Government efforts in the road rehabilitation exercise, saying that the initiative was likely to continue after the summit.
“I believe that the road rehabilitation program, which is already underway and showing positive results, is likely to continue. It’s encouraging to see the road rehabilitation program extending to high-density areas beyond the SADC summit preparations, demonstrating the Government’s commitment to improving infrastructure,” said Masarira.
She added her party would monitor if the Government fulfills the road rehab promise, adding that “as an alternative political party, their role is to ensure theat Government stays true to it’s word.”
FreeZim Congress leader, Joseph Makamba Busha, also waded into the discussion on Government’s emergency roads rehabilitation program, saying it would build “President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s legacy,” but insisted the program is “not a need basis because the country has more pressing social needs.”
Of late, the government has rehabilitated Harare roads like Julius Nyerere way, Nemakonde rd (formerly Lomagundi), Samora Machel and Sam Nujoma in preparation of the upcoming three-day SADC summit scheduled for August 17 this month in Zimbabwe.
