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Herald Reporter
Government has intensified efforts to ensure all roads are in good shape as part of improving the ease of doing business environment, a senior official has said. Speaking during a tour of rehabilitated roads in Harare’s central business district, Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development director for road maintenance Engineer Zvenyika Chawatama said their programme was now targeting high density suburban roads.

He said work on Crowborough, well known as Mereki roads, which connect Harare-Bulawayo Highway and suburbs like Warren Park, Budiriro and Glen View was in progress.

“There are several financial packages put in place to ensure roads are in good shape. This is part of the new dispensation’s efforts to improve the ease-of-doing business environment. Transport and good road infrastructure remain an important aspect in economic development,” he said.

“We have plans to rehabilitate other high density roads. We have contractors who are working on Tafara-Mabvuku roads and we have already rehabilitated roads in Sunningdale. We are also aware that Mufakose roads are extensively damaged and we are sending two contractors to work there.”

“We have five contractors who are working on our roads and during this phase of road rehabilitation, we are targeting 100km around high density suburbs to be finished before the onset of the next rainy season,” said Eng Chawatama.
Some Warren Park residents expressed satisfaction with the pace of work on the roads.

“We want to thank city authorities for road rehabilitation. Business had declined because of poor roads, but now things are quite promising,” said a shop owner at Mereki shops who declined to be identified.

Harare City Council corporate communications manager Mr Michael Chideme said council was concerned by the poor state of roads, but required more resources to repair them.

“We are fixing roads right across the city. For as long as there are roads in Harare that require maintenance and rehabilitation, we will repair them,” he said.