News / National
City of Harare blames poor road work on private contractor
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The City of Harare has officially acknowledged its responsibility for the poor condition of a stretch of Harare Drive, confirming that it was the local authority's project and not that of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development.
The issue was first raised on Monday, February 24, by social media personality Mmatigari, who shared his concerns about the resurfacing of the road, describing it as a "big crooked mess." He took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticize the contractor who resurfaced the stretch from Arcturus Road to E.D. Mnangagwa Road (formerly Enterprise Road), calling out the shoddy work that has led to the surface moving and creating ridges, especially near the intersection with Pringle Road and Oriel School.
In his post, Mmatigari said:
"The contractor who resurfaced Harare Drive from Arcturus Road to E D Mnangagwa Road (formerly Enterprise) cheated the people of Zimbabwe."
He went on to highlight the poor workmanship, stating,
"The road surface moves and creates ridges and contours on the entire stretch. It's a big crooked mess. We can't resurface roads and then need to redo them 2-3 years later. Tingavake Nyika yacho sei manje?"
His post drew the attention of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, which responded promptly, clarifying that the rehabilitation project was carried out by the City of Harare, not their ministry.
The Ministry stated:
"Please be advised that the section of Harare Drive, stretching from Arcturus Road to ED Mnangagwa Road (formerly Enterprise Road), was rehabilitated by the City of Harare. This project was not undertaken by the Ministry of Transport & Infrastructural Development. Thank you."
Following the Ministry's clarification, the City of Harare confirmed that the road had been resurfaced in 2017 by a private contractor hired by the local authority. The city expressed regret over the current state of the road and promised that an investigation was underway.
In an official statement, the City of Harare said:
"Our attention has been drawn to a social media posting on the state of the road on Harare Drive between Arcturus Road and ED Mnangagwa Road. We confirm that the City of Harare indeed contracted a private company to rehabilitate this portion of the road in 2017."
The statement continued,
"The City of Harare is looking into the issue with a view of working on the damaged parts of the road as funds become available. It would be prudent that more funds are availed to make sure that we rehabilitate as many link roads as possible to ease pressure on reconstructed roads."
The City of Harare also thanked the resident for highlighting the issue and reiterated its commitment to addressing the problem.
This acknowledgment comes amid growing frustration among Harare residents regarding the quality of roadworks and the ongoing challenges facing the city’s infrastructure.
The issue was first raised on Monday, February 24, by social media personality Mmatigari, who shared his concerns about the resurfacing of the road, describing it as a "big crooked mess." He took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticize the contractor who resurfaced the stretch from Arcturus Road to E.D. Mnangagwa Road (formerly Enterprise Road), calling out the shoddy work that has led to the surface moving and creating ridges, especially near the intersection with Pringle Road and Oriel School.
In his post, Mmatigari said:
"The contractor who resurfaced Harare Drive from Arcturus Road to E D Mnangagwa Road (formerly Enterprise) cheated the people of Zimbabwe."
He went on to highlight the poor workmanship, stating,
"The road surface moves and creates ridges and contours on the entire stretch. It's a big crooked mess. We can't resurface roads and then need to redo them 2-3 years later. Tingavake Nyika yacho sei manje?"
His post drew the attention of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, which responded promptly, clarifying that the rehabilitation project was carried out by the City of Harare, not their ministry.
The Ministry stated:
"Please be advised that the section of Harare Drive, stretching from Arcturus Road to ED Mnangagwa Road (formerly Enterprise Road), was rehabilitated by the City of Harare. This project was not undertaken by the Ministry of Transport & Infrastructural Development. Thank you."
Following the Ministry's clarification, the City of Harare confirmed that the road had been resurfaced in 2017 by a private contractor hired by the local authority. The city expressed regret over the current state of the road and promised that an investigation was underway.
In an official statement, the City of Harare said:
"Our attention has been drawn to a social media posting on the state of the road on Harare Drive between Arcturus Road and ED Mnangagwa Road. We confirm that the City of Harare indeed contracted a private company to rehabilitate this portion of the road in 2017."
The statement continued,
"The City of Harare is looking into the issue with a view of working on the damaged parts of the road as funds become available. It would be prudent that more funds are availed to make sure that we rehabilitate as many link roads as possible to ease pressure on reconstructed roads."
The City of Harare also thanked the resident for highlighting the issue and reiterated its commitment to addressing the problem.
This acknowledgment comes amid growing frustration among Harare residents regarding the quality of roadworks and the ongoing challenges facing the city’s infrastructure.
Source - pindula
