Mayor bans gravel pothole repairs

Mutare mayor Simon Chabuka has ordered an immediate halt to the use of gravel for pothole patching, describing the practice as an ineffective and cosmetic response to the city's worsening road crisis.

The directive was issued during Tuesday's heated 1 336th full council meeting at the Civic Centre, where councillors and city officials grappled with the deteriorating state of Mutare's road network.

Councillor Chabuka said gravel patching was failing to address the scale of infrastructure decay, with about 86 percent of the city's roads now requiring major rehabilitation or complete reconstruction.

"The question is where the gravel ends up after two or three days. It is also clogging our drainage systems. The workmanship on our roads is equally poor," he said.

"Look at those maintaining Leopold Takawira near the Mutare Infectious Hospital — they are there daily doing the same thing, yet the potholes reappear within days. I am therefore saying there shall be no more pothole filling with gravel. It is better to leave them untouched until we have the tar to do the job properly."

The move aligns with Emmerson Mnangagwa's urban renewal agenda under the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2 2026–2030), which seeks to modernise Zimbabwe's cities into inclusive, resilient and sustainable urban centres.

However, the directive leaves the council facing a major challenge, as its asphalt production plant at Dangamvura Link Road remains non-operational, limiting the city's ability to carry out durable tar-based repairs.

Critics argued that banning gravel without securing adequate alternatives risks worsening road conditions and delaying emergency maintenance.

Before the council meeting, councillors, managers and members of the media toured several sites across the city, including Murahwa Green Market Bridge, Moffat Hall, the idle Dangamvura asphalt plant, St Joseph's Cemetery and the newly established Dangamvura Rank.

The tour exposed the extent of Mutare's infrastructure deterioration and highlighted mounting pressure on council leaders to restore public confidence in service delivery.

Mutare Town Clerk Blessing Chafesuka sought clarification on whether the mayor's announcement constituted a formal council resolution or merely an instruction.

"I think we must be clear because you will come back and hold me accountable for this. We need to know whether this is a council resolution or simply an instruction that we are no longer filling potholes with gravel," he said.

Councillor Chabuka responded: "Whether you regard it as an instruction or a council resolution, that is the direction we are taking."

Meanwhile, director of engineering and technical services Maxwell Kerith painted a grim picture of the city's infrastructure and financial position.

Engineer Kerith revealed that council owes contractors more than US$3,5 million for ongoing road rehabilitation projects, while only a fraction of the city's 507-kilometre road network remains in good condition.

"Of 293 kilometres of tarred roads, only 46 kilometres are in good condition, while 247 kilometres require either rehabilitation or reconstruction," he said.

"We have 94 kilometres of gravel roads, all of which need re-gravelling, and 120 kilometres of earth roads requiring rehabilitation or reconstruction."

Kerith said the estimated cost of restoring the city's road network to a serviceable condition now stands at approximately US$110 million.

He also disclosed that several projects initiated during the Sanganai Expo and the ZANU PF Annual People's Conference remain unfunded despite earlier government commitments.

Outstanding payments include over US$873 000 owed for Railway Street works, US$670 000 for Bridge Road, US$783 000 for Glasgow Road, US$410 000 for Industrial Road and more than US$752 000 for Newcastle Road.

Despite the funding constraints, some contractors continue working at a slower pace due to cash-flow difficulties.

Councillor Chabuka singled out Magamba Drive as one of the roads requiring urgent intervention, describing it as a key transport artery serving suburbs including Florida, Fairbridge Park, Bernwin, Chikanga and Hobhouse.

"Even if we can only grade Magamba Drive to make it passable, at least," he said.

"While we wait for Government, we may have to deploy a grader and some gravel. We understand the predicament, but we cannot simply fold our arms. Although it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, we should do something because it falls within the jurisdiction of the local authority."

He added: "We are the ones who face criticism from the public. Let us patch it with tar, not gravel."