A large portion of roads in Matabeleland North’s Hwange town have outlived their design lifespan, making them expensive to maintain.
This was revealed by Hwange town secretary, Ndumiso Mdlalose, in response to concerns over the state of roads, particularly after recent heavy rains damaged several sections of the town’s road network.
He revealed that the most affected area was Empumalanga, where the downpours caused significant road damage.
“Instead of routine pothole patching, some roads now require complete resealing and rehabilitation,” Mdlalose said.
“But due to funding constraints, we have had to resort to temporary fixes just to ensure that the roads remain trafficable.
“To mitigate future damage, council has been working on opening new drains and desilting covered ones to prevent water from flooding and prematurely eroding the roads.”
According to Mdlalose, the cost of road rehabilitation is prohibitive, with an estimated US$200 000 needed to upgrade just 1 km of gravel road to a surfaced road, and US$100 000 required to reseal a road.
He alleged that the allocation council receives from the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) is not enough to meet such expenses.
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“The roads account is simply not sufficient,” he said.
“As a mitigation measure, council previously introduced a roads levy, but the low collection rate made it impossible to embark on meaningful projects, leading to its scrapping.
“Perhaps residents need better engagement on this matter, as it could be a viable way to fund major roadworks.”
Despite ongoing maintenance, Mdlalose highlighted the significant financial challenges faced by the local board.
He, however, acknowledged that while Zinara remains council’s primary funding partner, there has been little support from private businesses in the town.
He noted that one private player, David Qui, has been instrumental in assisting with the extraction of road gravel for edge break repairs, covering 10km so far, as well as supplying quarry dust free of charge.
Looking ahead, Mdlalose emphasised that most roads in Hwange now need full reseals rather than mere patching.
However, the limited Zinara funds mean that alternative funding sources must be explored.
“What we are getting from Zinara is far too short of the actual requirements,” he said.
“It seems clear that stakeholder involvement through corporate social responsibility and partnerships, along with a revived road levy, could be the only promising avenues for sustainable road rehabilitation.
“To mitigate future damage, council has been working on opening new drains and desilting covered ones to prevent water from flooding and prematurely eroding the roads.”
Despite ongoing maintenance, Mdlalose highlighted the significant financial challenges faced by the local board.
