THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has engaged Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) over its failure to release outstanding funds to enable council to complete road rehabilitation projects.
BY MTHANDAZO NYONI
BCC is supposed to get more than $800 000 annually from Zinara, but the quasi-government institution was failing to meet its obligation, according to the latest council minutes.
“No works were carried out during the month of August. The contractor moved off site, citing financial challenges due to late payments from Zinara,” part of the minutes read.
“Zinara was being engaged to release outstanding funds to enable council to complete planned works.”
Council has budgeted $6 million for the roads rehabilitation exercise this year, but has only managed to use $392 703 of that amount due to low disbursement from Zinara and non-availability of funding from council.
BCC also revealed that Zinara was still struggling to release the outstanding amounts for works completed under the 2016 Zimbabwe International Trade Fair preparations.
It said no overlays were carried out in August, but the tender for the supply of bitumen had been awarded and the contract agreement was being processed.
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About 75% of Bulawayo’s road network is in a poor condition and the local authority does not have enough resources to rehabilitate the infrastructure.
According to a roads assessment report compiled by the council’s environmental, management and engineering services committee last year, council needs $7,9m for roads rehabilitation over a three-year period.
Some of its roads needed to be re-gravelled, surfaced or reconstructed.
