Rains worsen Harare's pothole crisis

Continuous rainfall across the capital has further deteriorated already poor road conditions, leaving motorists struggling to navigate pothole-riddled streets.

Harare's roads, many of which were in disrepair before the rains, are now turning potholes into dangerous ditches, posing serious risks to drivers. Previous attempts by the City Council to patch roads with gravel and soil have largely failed, as heavy rain washes the material away.

Speaking at Town House, Mayor Jacob Mafume said the Council, with approval from the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ), plans to acquire materials for pothole repairs starting next week.

"Beginning next week, all things being equal, we should be doing pothole filling starting from the City Centre spreading outwards to the suburbs. Depending on the quantity that we get, we will deploy more than 20 gangs to be able to do pothole filling so that we can alleviate the residents," Mafume said.

Motorists continue to bear the brunt of a long-standing funding dispute between the Harare City Council and the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA). Mafume has repeatedly criticised ZINARA for allocating insufficient funds to the city despite its high vehicle volume.

The mayor said discussions are ongoing to reach a "working arrangement" with ZINARA and the Ministry of Transport to secure additional resources for road maintenance.