Mnangagwa extends roads state of disaster declaration

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has extended the state of disaster for Zimbabwe's road network for another two years.

The extension, announced through Statutory Instrument (SI) 151 of 2024, ensures that the emergency measures will continue until December 31, 2026.

This program, originally started in 2021 in response to severe road damage caused by heavy rains, will see the Department of Roads oversee the rehabilitation and construction of major roads, with provincial engineers managing the projects within their regions.

The initial state of disaster was declared on February 23, 2021, as detailed in Statutory Instrument 47 of 2021, due to widespread road infrastructure damage.

The declaration led to the launch of the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme 2 (ERRP2), which was initially set to run until the end of this year.

Since its inception in 2022, ERRP2 has rehabilitated over 50,000 kilometers of roads and repaired 2,000 structures.

Additionally, the government has introduced a new regulation that restricts commuter omnibuses with a capacity of 26 seats or fewer from operating beyond a 60 km radius, due to frequent road traffic accidents involving these smaller vehicles.