Business / Economy
'Govt to rehabilitate roads,' says Mugabe
01 Sep 2013 at 12:19hrs | Views
In his recent inauguration speech, President Robert Mugabe made mention of the definite need for infrastructural development, a sign that the government is fully aware of how much trouble the country's infrastructure is in.
The President promised, among many other things, the rehabilitation of road networks. If that particular promise were to be fulfilled, it would be a great start, as the long-neglected roads are presently in a state that calls for concern. Potholes have become a common sight in most areas, so much that people have almost come to get used to them, owing to their long presence. Vehicle owners have had to grapple with damages to their vehicles that travel along the country's roads every day. The pathetic roads have also been blamed for much of the road carnage that tends to kill many on a regular basis.
It is also an undeniable fact that the roads have become too small to accommodate all the vehicles in the country today. While a decade ago, owning a vehicle in Zimbabwe was a rare privilege reserved for a few, today it is quite commonplace, especially with the advent of the imported Japanese second-hand cars that have filled the roads. Add to that, the amount of public transportation in the form of commuter omnibuses, better known as "kombis", has increased at an alarming rate, bringing chaos to the cities, as the vehicles often do not have appropriate stations from which to drop and pick passengers.
"It's amazing what a new coat of paint can do. Do you know how different the city would look if most of these buildings were painted?" said my sister-in-law, as she clearly battled to understand why Harare now looked so "dull". And again, as much as I might have hated to admit it, as I live in Harare, I had to agree with her.
While most of the buildings might have looked okay 30 years ago, most of them just look very dull now. One seldom comes across buildings freshly painted in pristine bright colours like red, yellow, orange, green or purple as one would find in say the neighbouring South Africa. It's almost as if bright colours were considered outrageous in Zimbabwe, as the cities are coloured in mostly the ancient-style grey, brown, white and beige colours. In some areas, all it would take is a fresh coat of paint to brighten things up.
A revamp of the country's infrastructure will go a long way in portraying the country as one that is moving forward. As things currently stand, one would be forgiven for thinking the country has been stagnant for the last 33 years.
The President promised, among many other things, the rehabilitation of road networks. If that particular promise were to be fulfilled, it would be a great start, as the long-neglected roads are presently in a state that calls for concern. Potholes have become a common sight in most areas, so much that people have almost come to get used to them, owing to their long presence. Vehicle owners have had to grapple with damages to their vehicles that travel along the country's roads every day. The pathetic roads have also been blamed for much of the road carnage that tends to kill many on a regular basis.
It is also an undeniable fact that the roads have become too small to accommodate all the vehicles in the country today. While a decade ago, owning a vehicle in Zimbabwe was a rare privilege reserved for a few, today it is quite commonplace, especially with the advent of the imported Japanese second-hand cars that have filled the roads. Add to that, the amount of public transportation in the form of commuter omnibuses, better known as "kombis", has increased at an alarming rate, bringing chaos to the cities, as the vehicles often do not have appropriate stations from which to drop and pick passengers.
"It's amazing what a new coat of paint can do. Do you know how different the city would look if most of these buildings were painted?" said my sister-in-law, as she clearly battled to understand why Harare now looked so "dull". And again, as much as I might have hated to admit it, as I live in Harare, I had to agree with her.
While most of the buildings might have looked okay 30 years ago, most of them just look very dull now. One seldom comes across buildings freshly painted in pristine bright colours like red, yellow, orange, green or purple as one would find in say the neighbouring South Africa. It's almost as if bright colours were considered outrageous in Zimbabwe, as the cities are coloured in mostly the ancient-style grey, brown, white and beige colours. In some areas, all it would take is a fresh coat of paint to brighten things up.
A revamp of the country's infrastructure will go a long way in portraying the country as one that is moving forward. As things currently stand, one would be forgiven for thinking the country has been stagnant for the last 33 years.
Source - thestandard
