News / National
Construction of homesteads underway ahead of new Old Gwanda road project
01 May 2025 at 08:37hrs | Views
Construction of the first of 42 homesteads earmarked for families set to be relocated for the development of the new Old Gwanda Road is progressing well, with groundwork for the larger infrastructure project also firmly in motion.
Zwane Enterprise, the company leading the project, confirmed that the yellow machinery for the main road construction is expected to be deployed by early June. The company's chief executive officer, Engineer Bekithemba Mbambo, revealed in an interview that preparatory work is already underway, including road design, land applications, and an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
"We are hard at work doing preparatory works like road design, land applications, EIA and such to pave the way for yellow equipment on the road. We have already started construction of the first homestead at Ntunjambili," said Eng Mbambo.
He added that construction of the remaining 41 homesteads will begin once the final alignment of the road is completed. Additionally, the relocation of graves in affected areas will be guided by traditional chiefs and officials from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works. These movements are expected to occur after homestead construction is complete but before the families are relocated.
Addressing progress on the road works, Eng Mbambo noted that machinery will be dispatched to sections of the route where there are no outstanding issues. "We expect yellow vehicles on the road in those areas sometime in early June," he said.
Eng Mbambo also disclosed that Zwane Enterprise had terminated a working relationship with the initial road designer after it was discovered that he lacked the necessary qualifications. "He had no qualifications to do and sign for the road designs. We asked him to provide his skills set and he failed. We can't give a design contract to somebody who is unqualified," he explained.
Refuting public assumptions that the Concession Agreement for the road was signed in January, Eng Mbambo clarified that the agreement with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development was finalised only four weeks ago. He expressed confidence that all requirements outlined in the agreement would be met within the stipulated 90-day timeframe.
The new Old Gwanda Road is expected to significantly improve connectivity in the region, with Zwane Enterprise aiming to deliver both the road and the supporting resettlement infrastructure efficiently and in accordance with regulatory guidelines.
Zwane Enterprise, the company leading the project, confirmed that the yellow machinery for the main road construction is expected to be deployed by early June. The company's chief executive officer, Engineer Bekithemba Mbambo, revealed in an interview that preparatory work is already underway, including road design, land applications, and an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
"We are hard at work doing preparatory works like road design, land applications, EIA and such to pave the way for yellow equipment on the road. We have already started construction of the first homestead at Ntunjambili," said Eng Mbambo.
He added that construction of the remaining 41 homesteads will begin once the final alignment of the road is completed. Additionally, the relocation of graves in affected areas will be guided by traditional chiefs and officials from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works. These movements are expected to occur after homestead construction is complete but before the families are relocated.
Addressing progress on the road works, Eng Mbambo noted that machinery will be dispatched to sections of the route where there are no outstanding issues. "We expect yellow vehicles on the road in those areas sometime in early June," he said.
Eng Mbambo also disclosed that Zwane Enterprise had terminated a working relationship with the initial road designer after it was discovered that he lacked the necessary qualifications. "He had no qualifications to do and sign for the road designs. We asked him to provide his skills set and he failed. We can't give a design contract to somebody who is unqualified," he explained.
Refuting public assumptions that the Concession Agreement for the road was signed in January, Eng Mbambo clarified that the agreement with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development was finalised only four weeks ago. He expressed confidence that all requirements outlined in the agreement would be met within the stipulated 90-day timeframe.
The new Old Gwanda Road is expected to significantly improve connectivity in the region, with Zwane Enterprise aiming to deliver both the road and the supporting resettlement infrastructure efficiently and in accordance with regulatory guidelines.
Source - herald
