News / National
Matabeleland roads get facelift
01 Sep 2019 at 14:49hrs | Views
The District Development Fund (DDF) has embarked on a massive rehabilitation of roads and bridges in Matabeleland to improve infrastructure in the region.
The government department, which falls directly under the Office of the President, has lined up many projects in the region that include construction of new bridges and roads as well as the rehabilitation of old ones.
Roads to be rehabilitated in Matabebeleland North and South provinces include the 300km stretch of the Karoi- Binga road which would be tarred.
In Plumtree, DDF is constructing the Simukwe-Mabonyane and Mambale roads, Lutumba-Bulawayo road in Beitbridge, Mtshingwe Road in Insiza, 11km stretch of the Bulawayo Kraal road in Binga and the Kezi Mbembeswana-Marinoha Hill road in Kezi, among many other feeder roads .
This was revealed by DDF acting director for roads Goodwell Mapako, who said the targeted roads needed gravelling so that they have a long life span.
"We are taking these projects seriously.
"We have done a lot of work," he told ZBC.
"The regravelled roads should last up to seven to 10 years, but should be maintained every time by grading whenever there is rain.
"In the dry season there should be light-grading and tyre-pulling to cater for corrugation."
Mapako said they would also upgrade 22 000km of national parks roads to make the game reserves navigable for tourists who do game drives.
"We have started doing roads in Sinamathela Camp in Hwange National Park. We have also started rehabilitating roads in Matopos National Park to make them navigable for tourists. We have also built bridges in some of these areas," he added.
Mapako said they had also been tasked by government to build schools in disadvantaged areas.
"Currently, we are piling material for the construction of Mokambo Primary School in Mangwe district in Plumtree," he said.
"These are part of disadvantaged schools, which belong to government. We are doing these per provinces.
"Government has a fund for disadvantaged schools. These are the jobs we have been given to build new schools and also maintain those already established."
The government department, which falls directly under the Office of the President, has lined up many projects in the region that include construction of new bridges and roads as well as the rehabilitation of old ones.
Roads to be rehabilitated in Matabebeleland North and South provinces include the 300km stretch of the Karoi- Binga road which would be tarred.
In Plumtree, DDF is constructing the Simukwe-Mabonyane and Mambale roads, Lutumba-Bulawayo road in Beitbridge, Mtshingwe Road in Insiza, 11km stretch of the Bulawayo Kraal road in Binga and the Kezi Mbembeswana-Marinoha Hill road in Kezi, among many other feeder roads .
This was revealed by DDF acting director for roads Goodwell Mapako, who said the targeted roads needed gravelling so that they have a long life span.
"We are taking these projects seriously.
"We have done a lot of work," he told ZBC.
"The regravelled roads should last up to seven to 10 years, but should be maintained every time by grading whenever there is rain.
"In the dry season there should be light-grading and tyre-pulling to cater for corrugation."
Mapako said they would also upgrade 22 000km of national parks roads to make the game reserves navigable for tourists who do game drives.
"We have started doing roads in Sinamathela Camp in Hwange National Park. We have also started rehabilitating roads in Matopos National Park to make them navigable for tourists. We have also built bridges in some of these areas," he added.
Mapako said they had also been tasked by government to build schools in disadvantaged areas.
"Currently, we are piling material for the construction of Mokambo Primary School in Mangwe district in Plumtree," he said.
"These are part of disadvantaged schools, which belong to government. We are doing these per provinces.
"Government has a fund for disadvantaged schools. These are the jobs we have been given to build new schools and also maintain those already established."
Source - the standard
