Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road Contractors Unpaid, Work Slows

Work on the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road has slowed sharply, with only one or two of about eight contractors working because they have not been paid, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona has told Parliament.

Mhona told the Senate that payment delays were affecting contractors on government road projects, with some firms demobilising when the government failed to pay them on time.

“Most of the time we pay these contractors and sometimes we face some setbacks in terms of payment. The contractors may decide to demobilise,” Mhona said.

He singled out the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road, one of the country’s major trunk roads and a key route to Zimbabwe’s premier tourist destination.

“There is also another controversial road, which is Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road. We had about eight contractors. At the moment, we have one or two contractors who are working, but they are working at a slower rate because they have not been paid yet,” Mhona said.

“We are happy that we have managed to secure some funds. Yes, we do have many contractors who are working on our roads, but shortly we are going to see contractors going back and start work so that they can finish before the commencement of the rainy season.”

Mhona warned that further delays could result in already completed or partially completed works being damaged when the rains begin.

“If we do not do that, we are going to lose a lot because the roads are going to be destroyed if the rainy season starts,” he said.

The minister said funding shortages were affecting road rehabilitation more broadly and appealed to Parliament to allocate more money to his ministry.

“Also, I want to take this opportunity to remind this august House that you must really work with us in making sure that the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development is allocated more money so that we are able to finish most of the works,” Mhona said.

Mhona later told senators that completing the Victoria Falls Road would require about $500 million.

“If we say we want to rehabilitate Victoria Falls Road, we need $500 million to complete that road, which means we need about five years to finish that road,” he said.

The government has now secured some funding to pay contractors and expects more of them to return to work before the rainy season, Mhona said.