The ManicaPost
CONSTRUCTION of roads is an integral part of development of infrastructure since an efficient road network reduces transport costs, contributes to the economic growth of a nation and brings with it important social gains.
Providing access to employment, social, health and education services make a good road network crucial in fighting poverty.
An efficient road infrastructure is probably the most important of all public assets.
By linking producers to markets, workers to jobs, learners to schools and the sick to hospitals, roads are vital to any development agenda.
Reducing the distance between people, markets, services and knowledge or simply getting people connected fast-tracks economic growth.
Although virtual connectivity has become increasingly important today, a good and reliable road network remains vital in Zimbabwe in general, and Manicaland in particular.
The province is the gateway to the sea and a hub of tourism. Both areas demand a quality road network.
Sadly, Manicaland’s road network is now in a poor condition or impassable, especially after the recent rains received.
Due to the potholes, Mutare, Chipinge and Rusape are among areas experiencing the worst traffic congestion as motorists try to navigate the roads.
Places that would ordinarily take 30 minutes to reach now take more than an hour due to the state of roads.
As a result, production time is lost as all those people are delayed in getting to their work stations.
Deterioration of our road network has also increased the risks of accidents.
Bad roads cost lives and the number of people killed and injured in road traffic accidents each year is too high.
Although road traffic injuries occur for several reasons, the condition of the road surface is an important factor in preventing them.
It has also been noted that Manicaland lags behind in some aspects of road infrastructure development.
A backlog of outstanding maintenance projects has caused irreversible deterioration of the province’s road network, while some contractors are guilty of delivering shoddy work after the stretches of the roads they worked on deteriorated only a few months after completion.
Against this background, Government embarked on a programme to improve the quality and efficiency of the road network in Manicaland.
Through the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP), a number of roads across the province are being constructed, while others are being rehabilitated.
The importance of the road network cannot be overstated as a huge chunk of the products from various sectors is transported by road.
We therefore applaud Government for making significant efforts to improve the road situation.
Manicaland’s total budget under ERRP2 has been increased this year.
The funds disbursed should be put to good use and it is hoped that the contractors will be equal to the task and do superb work.
Supervision of road works should the thorough, and timelines must be adhered to.
Manicaland deserves an efficient and effective road network for its economic growth.
