Beitbridge seeks funds to repair roads

Beitbridge Rural District Council (BBRDC), together with its development partners, has embarked on a programme to assess the damage on roads and key infrastructure caused by torrential rains that affected most parts of the country recently.

BBRDC chief executive officer Mr Peter Moyo said in an interview yesterday that they were working together with officials from the District Development Fund (DDF) and Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development on the project.

He said upon completing the impact assessment, they would then lobby for funding from Government through the Road Fund.

Mr Moyo said teams were already on the ground assessing both primary and secondary roads.

"The rains left a trail of destruction on most of the critical infrastructure in the district, including roads, and hence we need to assess the damage and come up with a budget," he said.

"It is critical that we rehabilitate the road network as a matter of urgency. The bad state of the roads has triggered transport problems and we can't sit and fold our hands when members of the community are suffering."

Mr Moyo said most roads which needed rehabilitation were those linking the town with Zezani, Hwunga, Dumba, Chiredzi, Tshikwalakwala, Makhadho, Makombe, Masera, Shashe and Nhwali.

The situation at the Tshikwalakwala area is regarded as very critical after a bridge linking Beitbridge and Chiredzi was washed away by the floods.

The road also serves as a link for tourists accessing the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) and horticulture farmers in Beitbridge East constituency who use it to transport their products to markets in the border town.

State Security Minister Kembo Mohadi, who is also a member of the National Assembly for Beitbridge East, said recently that Government was mobilising resources to attend to major roads in the district.