Binga roads threaten district tourism

MEMBERS of the public in Binga have implored Government to urgently rehabilitate Cross Dete to Binga road, saying the tourism district risks being isolated from the rest of the country if the road is not maintained.

The Matabeleland North District is accessible via Cross Dete off the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls highway and Lusulu also from the Bulawayo Road as well as via Siabuwa-Binga Road which connects to Gokwe and Karoi in Midlands and Mashonaland West respectively.

Binga is a sleeping tourism giant with the potential to be an economic hub if the natural resources in the area are tapped into.

The district has sand beaches along Zambezi River, hot springs, fishing, boating and a rich culture hence the need for a reliable road network.

The stretch of the road between Kamativi and Binga centre is bad and motorists have created detours on the road side as they negotiate their way through.

A section of the main road near Binga Centre on the edge of Zambezi River push back was swept away by rains and motorists have for the past months been dangerously negotiating their way past the point.

The district recently received funding through the Emergency Roads Rehabilitation Programme to rehabilitate some of the roads with work already started on some of them.

A news crew recently visited the area and observed that while no work has started on the Cross Dete-Binga road, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development has gravelled Binga-Siabuwa road while work is underway to gravel Manjolo-Bulawayo Kraal-Siachilaba road.

Binga Rural District Council is also working on Lusulu-Nakaluba and also Pashu-Mabobolo road.

A transporter, Mr Buale Munkombwe who plies the Cross Dete-Binga road said many motorists were experiencing breakdowns.

"I just had a breakdown at Manjolo Business Centre as I was on my way to Cross Dete. This is bad for business as we always have breakdowns caused by the unbelievably bad roads and no longer realise any profit because the money is used to repair vehicles."

"The road is very bad especially between Kamativi and Binga Centre and the potholes are bad such that people are diverting into gravel roads because that is better than using the damaged tarred road."

Another transporter Mr Nkosi Sibanda who operates between Hwange and Binga implored Government to urgently fix the road.

"If possible, the Government should resurface the whole road because soon no car will be able to run on this road. Yes, there are buses but mostly they travel at night hence small cars have a bigger role to play," he said.

Chief Pashu from the district said: "There is a very serious challenge here. All roads and bridges were damaged by rains and we need urgent intervention if the district is to develop."

Binga Rural District Council chief executive Mr Joshua Muzamba said the local authority received an initial transfer of $4 million ERRP funds from Government which it is using to fix roads.

"We are using ERRP funds to rehabilitate roads at Binga Centre. Our road network was damaged by rains especially in the high density and low-density suburbs where we are both surfacing and gravelling as well as making storm drains," he said.

Binga District Development Co-ordinator Mr Farai Marinyane said the Ministry of Transport, District Development Fund and council were on the ground doing road works.

"Binga is a tourism hub so good roads are a necessity towards achieving the vision of the nation," he said.