News / National
Tollgate workers to flee
26 Jun 2014 at 07:10hrs | Views
ZINARA officers stationed at a tollgate between Hwange and Victoria Falls close the facility every night fearing attacks by wild animals, including elephants and predators that roam the area.
The tollgate has no proper structures and workers operate in the open, where they are exposed to the vagaries of weather and possible attacks by dangerous animals.
Fearing for their lives, officers abandon the required 24-hour service and dismiss from work at 6PM and report for duty the following day at 6AM.
This means motorists who drive past the tollgate at night do not pay toll fees as required by the law.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development Munesu Munodawafa confirmed the issue was brought to their attention but ruled out closing the tollgate at night saying that was not the solution.
"There is no tollgate that should close. For the Hwange one we have heard about the issue of animals and I have just talked to Zinara chief executive officer and he confirms that the issue was brought to his attention. What we can say is that no tollgate closes or should close as their operation should be 24 hours," he said.
"The issue was raised but the question we asked was, how have we been operating and as such we have to attend to it."
The tollgate is situated about 20km outside Hwange Town along the Hwange-Victoria Falls Highway. It only has a chair for an officer to serve motorists and a makeshift room on the roadside.
During the rainy season, it has been observed that the workers abandon their duties and seek protection in the makeshift room or in some instances use an umbrella if there were light showers.
Munodawafa said his ministry has started upgrading tollgates across the country as part of the process to address problems such as the Hwange one.
"We have heard about the issue of animals. We know the tollgate is situated in a game area and obviously we are concerned about the security of staff. We are now making plans to provide physical security.
"The solution is not to close the tollgate but for us to provide physical security and we are going to attend to every concern there," he said.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Dr Obert Mpofu is on record saying the government would soon demolish all makeshift tollgates and replace them with state-of-the-art toll plazas
The tollgate has no proper structures and workers operate in the open, where they are exposed to the vagaries of weather and possible attacks by dangerous animals.
Fearing for their lives, officers abandon the required 24-hour service and dismiss from work at 6PM and report for duty the following day at 6AM.
This means motorists who drive past the tollgate at night do not pay toll fees as required by the law.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development Munesu Munodawafa confirmed the issue was brought to their attention but ruled out closing the tollgate at night saying that was not the solution.
"There is no tollgate that should close. For the Hwange one we have heard about the issue of animals and I have just talked to Zinara chief executive officer and he confirms that the issue was brought to his attention. What we can say is that no tollgate closes or should close as their operation should be 24 hours," he said.
The tollgate is situated about 20km outside Hwange Town along the Hwange-Victoria Falls Highway. It only has a chair for an officer to serve motorists and a makeshift room on the roadside.
During the rainy season, it has been observed that the workers abandon their duties and seek protection in the makeshift room or in some instances use an umbrella if there were light showers.
Munodawafa said his ministry has started upgrading tollgates across the country as part of the process to address problems such as the Hwange one.
"We have heard about the issue of animals. We know the tollgate is situated in a game area and obviously we are concerned about the security of staff. We are now making plans to provide physical security.
"The solution is not to close the tollgate but for us to provide physical security and we are going to attend to every concern there," he said.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Dr Obert Mpofu is on record saying the government would soon demolish all makeshift tollgates and replace them with state-of-the-art toll plazas
Source - chronicle
