Govt revamps road network under NDS-1

Government has set the National Development Strategy-One ((NDS-1) in motion by rehabilitating the country's roads and aligning them to regional standards.

The Zimbabwean government this Tuesday declared all the country's roads a state of disaster and undertook to implement a massive rehabilitation exercise which includes urban areas.

The Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Honourable July Moyo believes it is incumbent upon central government to develop roads as a key economic enabler for national development.

"Government has realised the need to improve the country's road network and it has declared the situation an emergency which should be implemented without delay to speed up meeting national vision.

"We are not only looking to rehabilitate the road infrastructure, but aligning Zimbabwe's roads to meet requirements of SADC Protocol on Transport, Communications and Meteorology," said the minister.

The move dovetails with the objectives of the National Development Strategy-One, whose main thrust is infrastructure development to stimulate economic growth.

With revelations that the new government undertaking will see even roads that were previously under the purview of local authorities being rehabilitated by central government, motorists are excited that good times are beckoning.

The country's road infrastructure especially in urban areas is in bad state, largely due to lack of proper maintenance by local authorities.

Under NDS-1, the government will prioritise completion of ongoing road projects where significant progress has been achieved so far with rehabilitation and expansion of SADC's main artery, the Chirundu-Beitbridge highway well on course.