Government says it is moving to decentralise road maintenance with plans to establish and revive district-level depots aimed at improving road conditions nationwide.
The policy was outlined in Parliament after a question from Mberengwa East MP Tasara Hungwe who asked how authorities plan to equip local districts with the machinery and resources needed to maintain roads.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona told lawmakers that the government has already begun setting up maintenance units and is working to expand them across all districts.
“We have established maintenance units consisting of personnel from the Department of Roads to service our roads. We are going as far as the districts in those areas that were disbanded” he said.
The minister said previously disbanded district depots are now being revived as part of efforts to ensure nationwide coverage.
“We are committed to revitalising all district points to ensure comprehensive coverage across the nation,” Mhona said adding that both rural and urban areas would benefit from the programme.
The initiative is expected to bring road maintenance services closer to communities, reducing delays and improving response times to damaged infrastructure.
Authorities are also prioritising the procurement of equipment and mobilisation of resources, working alongside local authorities and the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA).
Mhona said private companies would be involved in the programme, alongside trained engineers deployed at district level.
“These engineers will be taught similar things, even when it comes to budget allocation. Each and every engineer will get his own allocation,” he said.
The government says the decentralisation drive will rely on cooperation between public institutions and private players to ensure roads are properly maintained.
“We need to work together for everything to go well,” Mhona added.
The move comes as the country continues to grapple with deteriorating road infrastructure particularly in remote areas where maintenance has historically been centralised and under-resourced.
