DEADLOCK WITH CHINESE CONTRACTOR OVER AFTER A DECADE

City of Gweru has begun rehabilitating traffic lights in the Central Business District (CBD) after finishing arbitration processes with Chinese contractor Emobuild.

Council Public Relations Officer Vimbai Chingwaramusee confirmed the development to The Mirror.
“The arbitration between Emobuild and the City of Gweru with regards to the traffic lights is now over. As a local authority, we are now repairing the traffic lights. We expect to complete the rehabilitation before year end,” she said.

The two have been embroiled in arbitration for close to a decade. Emobuild installed solar powered traffic lights which became dysfunctional. Gweru City had paid US$360 000 of the agreed US$500 000.

Emobuild refused to take responsibility for the dysfunctional traffic lights and the two parties have been to the court and eventually resolved the matter through arbitration.

Traffic accidents and congestions were frequent in the CBD owing to the absence of functional traffic lights. Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) director, Conilia Selipiwe applauded the initiative.

“We are happy that the matter has been brought to finality. Council is now repairing the traffic lights and that is commendable. We hope the process will hastily completed,” he said.

Meanwhile, the local authority has begun clearing drainages in all wards to minimize flooding in the rainy season.

Chingwaramusee said they had intensified the exercise ahead of the rains.
“Drainage clearance is an ongoing programme that runs throughout the year but intensified towards the rainy season to counter floods. “As a local authority, we, however, encourage our residents not to clog drainages as these are the main causes of flooding during the rainy season,” she said. Masvingo Mirror

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