US$7m Boterekwa dualisation suffers stillbirth

By Sydney Mubaiwa | Masvingo Mirror |

The US$7 million Boterekwa Escarpment Road dualisation project that was supposed to start in June last year is still a pipe dream allegedly because the contracted company has no equipment.

Midlands Provincial Roads Engineer Denis Mupfurira told The Mirror that the 8km-project had not got off the ground because the contracted company, Transit Homes Contractors has not even managed to do the design for the road.

There are now serious considerations by the Ministry to get a new well-resourced contractor.

The Mirror visited the escarpment and the only thing that is at the site is a Ministry of Transport sign post indicating the dualisation project.

“The project has not taken off because the contractor is yet to come up with an acceptable design for dualisation. The contract is now under contract determination and we have sent recommendations to the Ministry so that we get a well- resourced contractor,” he said.

Boterekwa Escarpment is part of an important international gateway but its meandering curves, steep slopes and narrow width have seen countless fatal accidents.

The road has also become too small for traffic volumes that went up tremendously in the last two decades.

Transit Homes Contractors Managing Director Tendai Matimba failed to shed more light as to why they are yet to start the dualisation project.

“There are pressing issues,” he said before hanging up.

The dualisation will see a freeway for traffic moving into Shurugwi Town from Zvishavane and those heading out of Shurugwi will continue to use the current road.

A source who spoke to The Mirror on condition of anonymity has called upon the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) to probe how a company which allegedly doesn’t have equipment ended up getting a multimillion dollar tender.

“We need to know how a company with no equipment and zero resources ended up getting the tender against well-resourced companies,” he added.

Boterekwa Road was constructed decades ago by Italian craftsmen.

The road is a popular route for haulage trucks, buses and light vehicles from Beitbridge Border Post to Chirundu, Zambia, Tanzania and the DRC.