HARARE – Transport Minister Felix Mhona says the government is considering introducing a system that will compel companies to contribute directly towards road repairs if their activities are deemed to be inflicting damage on the public infrastructure.
He said this on Monday as he officially opened to traffic, a 5km stretch along Solomon Mujuru Drive (formerly Kirkman Road) in Harare’s Dzivaresekwa Extension suburb.
In interviews with the media, Mhona said it was important that road users who damage them participate in their reconstruction.
Currently, it is the government that carries the responsibility, often with private firms contracted to perform the service through Treasury.
“I am sure we need to disseminate this very loud and clear message to the people of Zimbabwe, to say we have road users, especially companies, mining companies, brick moulding companies, quarry companies, just to mention a few, which have been using our roads, but not partaking in the exercise of maintaining our roads,” Mhona said.
“We are saying going forward, whoever is using our roads has to account to the people of Zimbabwe, not necessarily to say we are punishing the road users, but it actually makes sense for us to then say ‘this is our road, let’s look after it’.”
Mhona said he will engage industry and mining ministers to find ways of ensuring that mining firms and those transporting goods are roped into road repairs.
He said the people must “take ownership of our infrastructure, against vandalism”, including of road signs.
Zimbabwe, which inherited a good infrastructure from its former colonial masters some four decades ago, has seen the public resource waste away over the years often due to constant neglect by government.
The government has been criticised for allegedly failing to construct and reconstruct roads to match the same spirit for collecting toll fees from thousands of motorists using them every day.
