BY NIZBERT MOYO
THE Bulawayo City Council has begun a massive road rehabilitation programme in preparation for this year’s Zimbabwe International Trade Fair scheduled for next month.
About 11 countries have so far confirmed their participation at the showcase, including several local exhibitors that want to expand their businesses through participating at the fair.
Mayor Solomon Mguni yesterday told Southern Eye that part of the preparations included rehabilitation of road networks after government also came on board with road rehabilitation projects.
The prime multi-sectoral trade exhibition will run under tight COVID-19 mitigation protocols next month (July 20 to 23) under the theme Showcasing the New Normal for Business and Industry: Realities and Opportunities.
“Of course, we have started preparations for the ZITF 2021 and part of the preparations includes navigability of our road network. We have government also coming on board with the emergency road rehabilitation projects, where the Department of State Roads has taken over maintenance of some roads, for instance Matopos Road, Fife Street, Luveve Road and Siyephambili Drive,’’ Mguni said.
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He said the city had been working on routine maintenance of roads since the end of the rainy season, adding that part of the work was from internal resources and devolution funds.
Mguni said part of the funding for the road rehabilitation programme would come from the Zimbabwe National Road Administration, while Treasury would disburse 20% from devolution funds.
Bulawayo was allocated a budget of over $600 million, which Mguni said has been committed for pothole patching, re-gravelling and re-sealing of major roads in the city.
ZITF Company board chairman Busisa Moyo confirmed that Angola, Belarus, Botswana, Indonesia, Japan, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania are some of the countries that will participate in this year’s edition.
“The response from the market has affirmed that exhibitors are eager to resume face-to-face trade show participation to increase awareness of their companies’ products and services following the unprecedented disruption of 2020 ZITF,” he said.
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