The developments come after an outcry against private
companies over shoddy work after some of the rehabilitated roads developed
potholes within a few months.
Government rolled out the Emergency Road Rehabilitation
Programme (ERRP) in 2021 after President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared the
country’s roads a national disaster.
Under ERRP, the government is targeting to rehabilitate 10
000 kilometres of roads countrywide, but mainly urban and trunk roads.
However, there is concern over shoddy work by some
contractors, with the government threatening to blacklist them.
Zinara chief executive officer Nkosinathi Ncube told the
Zimbabwe Independent that the road administrator will not pay contractors that
fail to meet the required standards and specifications.
“After a road authority has submitted its interim payment
certificate (IPC), it invites a Zinara engineer to undertake thorough quality
checks and confirm that the work was done according to the specifications laid
out in the scope works,” he said.
“If the work does not meet the required standards and
specifications, Zinara does not pay. This model of monitoring and evaluation of
projects will go a long way in improving the quality of road works being
undertaken.”
Ncube added that the parastatal has more technical
capability to examine and approve road construction projects carried out by
local authorities prior to the completion of drawdowns for payouts.
“Over the past year, we have increased
our technical capacity through the engagement of provincial
engineers who play a critical monitoring evaluation and support role for road
authorities throughout the country,” Ncube said.
“They are equipped and qualified to inspect and certify
road works undertaken by road authorities before drawdowns of disbursements are
done.”
The Zinara boss said the state-controlled parastatal is
continually working with stakeholders to increase funding available for
disbursement road authorities.
Zinara is continually working with various stakeholders to
increase funding available for disbursement to road authorities.
However, Ncube also revealed that the organisation does not
raise funds to build new roads.
According to him, the institution was also exploring ways
to improve the value of disbursements to local authorities for them to deliver
more efficiently on the ground.
He said they are also exploring disbursing value preserved
disbursements in the form of fuel or even capital items such as machinery.
Zinara said the e-tolling project is currently underway
whose tender process recently closed and we will soon be appointing a vendor.
“We are confident that our strategic agenda for the year is
robust enough to help us to achieve our intended (goals),” Ncube said.
In January this year, our sister paper the Standard
reported that the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) is set to receive a ZW$12 billion
windfall from Zinara for road rehabilitation.
According to latest council minutes, Zinara has indicated
that the local authority’s allocation for this year is ZW$12,1 billion, an
amount which is, however, far below the ZW$117 billion the city requires for
routine and periodic maintenance works.
“The city intend(s) to use 30% of the allocation, ZW$3 637
287 936,08 for routine maintenance and ZW$8 487 005 184,21 for periodic
maintenance. The routine maintenance works would comprise of pothole patching,
localised pavement reconstruction works, signage, road markings and street
lighting repairs city wide, while periodic maintenance would include
reconstruction works on Wellington road, Murchinson Road and Luveve 5 roads,”
the minutes read.
The council noted that priority roads needing urgent
rehabilitation were 23,1km long and would cost an estimated US$20,6 million or
ZW$117,3 billion using the central bank auction rate of US$1 to ZW$5 790, 0545
as of November 30 last year.
“Due to budgetary constraints, the city would have had the
capacity to rehabilitate the top seven roads contained in the key priority
roads table (10,8km) estimated to cost US$5 650,790.
“The source of funding would be Emergency Roads
Rehabilitation Programme 2, council’s own revenue stream and devolution
funds," the minutes state. Zimbabwe Independent
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