Minister Gumbo admits country's roads are now a death trap

Transport and Infrastructure development Minister Jorum Gumbo has admitted that the road network in Zimbabwe has become a death trap for motorists saddle the government is faced with crippling economic situation which curtail it from rehabilitating the road network.

Gumbo was speaking during senate in parliament.

"I am on record stating that all our roads are a disaster and are deplorable.  You cannot drive safely as there is a danger to your car and to yourself because of potholes, particularly when it is raining because you cannot even tell whether you are going to hit a pothole, as it is just water.  It is even worse in rural areas because the roads have been swept away," he said.

"Even in tarred roads, you would wish you were driving on a dust road than a tarred road.  I accept that.  What we have now done as a result of the disaster that has been declared by His Excellency Robert G Mugabe, is to look at all the road networks including urban areas.  As a Ministry, we are working with ZINARA and the Ministry of Local Government- working on urban roads.  We are addressing that situation right now because we are working with a Committee that is mobilising funds so that we can work on our washed away bridges, dams, clinics, hospitals and so on."

He said many places have been badly damaged by cyclone Dineo.

"That is now a blessing in disguise for places like Binga. The road that you are talking about ordinarily, we would not have been able to get funds to quickly move, assist or rehabilitate those roads. Because of this situation that we find ourselves in, we are now working on a budget particularly for us as Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development which would not have come to us as a Ministry," Gumbo said.

"We are now getting some money which is being mobilised through UNDP and other agencies; and through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, working together with the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC). We have given ourselves a timetable to say there are some areas that need urgent attention, like washed away bridges and some roads which are now not passable.  We need to work on those roads within 30 days and others within 130 and 180 days at most to have completed those roads within six months. What has just been stopping us is not that we do not have the capacity to do it, but it has been the resources which you yourselves as Hon. Members, including me, have not been able to pass in our budget to enable us to do the roads."

He said now, they are going begging and he think the begging will assist them get the money to rehabilitate Binga - Kamativi Road.

"I have been there, so I know what you are talking about. I want to thank you because I might have given my colleagues from wherever they come from, some information because we are going to be visiting all the places. We actually have a data Madam President which we presented to this Committee which I am talking about on Monday where we have a record on all the roads throughout the country, be it in town or rural areas, and other places and bridges. So, it is being taken care of," he said.