THE GOVERNMENT has promised to fix the roads connecting Bulawayo and Hwange National Park through Tsholotsho after failing to complete some of the road rehabilitation programmes in the area.
The development is also expected to boost tourism in the area.
Transport and Infrastructural Development minister Felix Mhona revealed the development in Parliament last week while responding to a question raised by Chief Mathupula during debate on the government’s plans on fixing the roads in the district.
Chief Mathupula had inquired on government plans for the road to Tsholotsho which connects Bulawayo with Hwange National Park.
Mhona confirmed that the ministry had rehabilitated part of the road.
“Culturally, when the chief has spoken, you just need to do precisely what the chief has directed. I want to assure you Chief Mathupula that the road is very important.
“If you remember last year, we touched on a 5km [stretch]; Bulawayo-Tsholotsho, Bulawayo-Kezi, Maphisa but it is not enough. The fact that roads were neglected for years, even if you do 5km, it might not do well but we know that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step and we just need to do that,” he said.
Mhona also assured Chief Mathupula that the government was well aware of the condition of the roads in Tsholotsho.
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“We started doing our roads and I want to assure the Hon Senator Chief Mathupula that, yes, Bulawayo-Tsholotsho, Bulawayo-Nkezi, Maphisa, Gwanda, we have those but like I said I will bring a detailed report of what we are doing in terms of managing roads” he said.
The government in 2021 launched the second phase of the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) in Zimbabwe following a public outcry on the state of roads.
Most of the roads were damaged by heavy rains received in most parts of the country during that year although some of them have been deteriorated over the years without much attention from authorities.
Under ERRP2, the government is targeting to rehabilitate 10 000km of the road network countrywide.
