Zinara moves to equip, fuel road authorities

The Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) has announced a bold new initiative to directly equip road authorities with essential resources to fast-track road maintenance and eliminate the costly reliance on hired machinery.

The announcement was made during ZINARA's Annual General Meeting held in Harare yesterday, where Board Chair Dr. George Manyaya outlined the strategic shift as a major step towards accelerating infrastructure development across the country.

Dr. Manyaya said the new approach is being rolled out under the guidance of the Government and the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development, Felix Mhona, in response to persistent challenges facing local road authorities.

"We realised that road authorities often lack the funds to buy fuel or road maintenance equipment," said Manyaya. "They spend significant time and resources hiring machinery, which slows down progress. So, through guidance from our Honourable Minister, Felix Mhona, we have developed a deliberate strategy to capacitate them."

Zimbabwe's road authorities have for years struggled with limited funding, which has hampered road rehabilitation efforts and led to delays in addressing the country's deteriorating road infrastructure.

Manyaya revealed that ZINARA has now tasked road authorities to compile lists of the equipment they require. These lists will inform the procurement process, which is already underway in consultation with key stakeholders.

"The government has said we must empower these authorities," Manyaya said. "We have asked them to submit the specific types of equipment they need, and we are now engaging stakeholders on the best way to procure it, ensuring they can carry out roadwork efficiently without the burden of hiring."

To further support road authorities, ZINARA has also secured two million litres of diesel in hard currency, which is currently being distributed to local authorities to aid their operations.

"We procured two million litres of diesel, and as long as the authorities acquit properly, we will continue to supply them with more fuel," said Manyaya.

The new strategy is part of a broader government effort to modernise Zimbabwe's road network and ensure sustainable infrastructure development by building institutional capacity at the local level.

With this shift, ZINARA hopes to see a significant improvement in the speed and quality of road maintenance projects, while also reducing long-term costs and ensuring better service delivery to communities.