Residents raise concern over surge in pothole-related accidents

BULAWAYO residents have called on the city council to urgently fill up potholes on most city roads, saying they were contributing to a number of fatal accidents.

At the weekend, three accidents occurred in the city which resulted in deaths and injuries.

One of the accidents on Saturday along Leopold Takawira Avenue in the city claimed the life of veteran journalist Innocent Kurwa.

Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association chairperson Ambrose Sibindi yesterday said most of the fatal accidents in the city were caused by potholes.

"We are trying to talk to the council on the issue of potholes because they are worsening and are posing danger to motorists," Sibindi said.

"Bulawayo roads are death traps, especially the main roads and we have noticed an increase in the number of accidents as a result of these potholes."

Mayibongwe Ndlovu, a commuter omnibus driver who plies the City-Luveve route, said Luveve Road was also littered with potholes.

"The road is very bad. We have to switch to the oncoming lane to avoid potholes. Robbers are taking advantage of potholes to pounce on drivers that would have slowed down to navigate the potholes," he said.

Early this month, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said government had set aside $33,6 billion for the second phase of the emergency road rehabilitation programme across the country.

This was after government in February declared the country's road network a state of disaster as most of them had become untrafficable following damage caused by heavy rains received this year.