City of Harare repairs only 15km road network

Harare (New Ziana) -The City of Harare on Tuesday said it only managed to rehabilitate 15 kilometres out of the 130 km road network it had targeted to repair this year.

Presenting the City of Harare’s 2022 budget proposal at Town House, chairperson of the finance and development Committee councillor Tichavona Mhetu blamed the Zimbabwe National Road Authority (ZINARA) for late disbursement of funds for roads rehabilitation.

“Turning to the roads programme, this year we had targeted to rehabilitate 130km but we have only done 15 km. We had also targeted to maintain 400km but we only managed 297 km. 

“This sector relies heavily on ZINARA funds and we have received ZWL198. 9 million, out of allocation of ZWL$483 million which is still inadequate given the capital – intensive nature of the works,” he said.

He said in 2022, the city fathers expect to fund the roads programme using revenue from city parking, endowment fees, billboards, gravel sales, Harare quarry dividend and trenching fees.

” While the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme phase 11 is taking care of the major roads, there is urgent need for the City to rehabilitate the roads in the residential areas, which are in a sorry state.

” From 2022 onwards, we expect regular updates on the utilisation of the aforementioned revenue streams in the roads programme,” he said.

Clr Mhetu said the ZWL$41.873 billion budget for 2022 was focused on water, sanitation and hygiene, social services, roads and public safety.

“The budget also seeks to take care of gender issues. It clearly states programmes, which address this aspect like provision of maternity services to all women within the environs of the City of Harare.

“The budget also seeks to ensure gender responsive service delivery hence the focus is predominantly water, sanitation and hygiene. This is so because we are alive to the fact that women and girls are the most affected by poor service delivery in these sectors, ” he said.

Council did not increase hospital fees, with Clr Mhetu saying the move was aimed to ensure access to health services for all city residents.

New Ziana