The government has promised an ambitious road development programme. To track progress, it is important to look at what government data says about the existing road network.
Zimbabwe has a 98,000km road network. It is made up of 89% (78,200km) unsurfaced gravel and earth roads. Sealed roads, mostly in urban areas and the main highways, constitute 18%, or 17,846 km.
The network is in three parts; roads in a reasonable condition, as well as the extremes of very good roads and those in a state of disrepair due to under-investment.
Targets
Under the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), the Government is targeting to increase the percentage of roads that meet the Southern Africa Transport and Communications Commission (SATCC) standards from 5% to 10% and to increase the number of kilometres of road network in good condition from 14,702km to 24,500km by 2025.
By June 2021, government claimed to have, through the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP), started work on at least 7,000km of road network, according to a Cabinet statement. More than 10,000km of roads are expected to be rehabilitated under the program.
Funding
Road upgrades have been funded mostly by own funds through the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA), and previously through other financing arrangements from multilateral agencies.
In 2021, Z$139,8 billion was allocated to infrastructure investment programmes, which include roads, dams, housing and public buildings. On January 28, 2022, ZINARA said it would disburse Z$16 billion to the country’s four road authorities for road maintenance works.
Gravel and earth roads
As at December 2021, according to Government data, over 2,000km or roads had been re-gravelled, while 6,627,9km have been graded with 701 drainage structures constructed or repaired and 184 wash-ways reclaimed.
A total of 4,491.5km of drains had been opened, 6,141.2 km of verges were cleared, and work had begun on at least 4 794,8km
Urban roads and highways
A Government report in June 2021 said 7 515 km out of the targeted 13 313 km of roadnetwork had been pothole patched, while 4,115km had been graded, 874 km re-gravelled and 164km rehabilitated or constructed.
As at January 19, 2022, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development had completed 284.85km on the Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge highway.
Sources: ZINARA, Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Cabinet Briefing Statements.
SIFE
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