Raymond Jaravaza, ray.jaravaza@chronicle.co.zw
BULAWAYO’S road network has reached a breaking point, with nearly 70 percent of the city’s 2 400-kilometre grid now classified as being in “poor condition,” leaving motorists to navigate a hazardous and costly landscape of decay.
Despite a 66 percent utilisation of its ZWG22 million road fund allocation from the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara), the City of Bulawayo is struggling to contain the crisis. Heavy rains have further crippled the aging infrastructure, forcing commuter omnibus operators to abandon routes and leaving thousands of residents across the city’s 29 wards stranded.
Passengers who once enjoyed being dropped off near their homes are now forced to walk long distances, often late at night, exposing them to the risk of muggings and other crimes. Driving in the city centre has become a nightmare for many motorists.
“The intersection at Joshua Mqabuko Street and Fourth Avenue is very bad. When it rains, the situation gets worse as the potholes grow deeper and bigger,” said Mr Gibson Malunga, a motorist.
In several western suburbs, kombis that previously serviced multiple neighbourhood stops now terminate at a single point, forcing commuters to trek home on foot.
For Old Magwegwe resident Mr Landile Ndlovu, who buys green mealies for resale in the early hours of the morning, daily routines have become a gamble.
“In the past, I used to board a kombi near my house, which meant I didn’t have to walk in the dark. Now I walk about two kilometres to the nearest bus stop because kombis no longer come close to our homes,” he said.
Vendors and informal traders who rely on early morning travel say the deteriorating roads have compounded their hardships.
“We are forced to walk long distances because kombis avoid these bad roads. It’s not safe, especially before dawn,” said Mr Ndlovu.
The worsening state of Bulawayo’s roads has not gone unnoticed by city authorities. Acting Mayor Councillor Edwin Ndlovu said council was aware of its responsibility.
“The city council has a mandate to ensure that roads are trafficable at all times, and we will use all available resources to keep our roads in good shape going into the New Year,” he said.
However, commuter transport operators paint a grim picture. Bulawayo United Passenger Transporters Association (Bupta) chairman Mr Morgan Msipa, whose organisation operates about 1 300 kombis, said the damage to vehicles was becoming unsustainable.
“There’s a road in Richmond called Glenvire Road and it’s terrible. I feel sorry for vehicle owners who have to use it. Kombi operators are not avoiding certain routes out of malice; they simply cannot afford constant repairs,” he said.
The crisis extends into the CBD itself. At the intersection of Lobengula Street and 3rd Avenue, a crater-like pothole has for months forced drivers into dangerous manoeuvres as they dodge oncoming traffic.
BCC has since begun repairs at the intersection, with the Department of Roads estimating the cost at US$1 million. Works are still ongoing.
Council statistics indicate Bulawayo now has more than 2 400 kilometres of roads, most of which require urgent rehabilitation.
While patchwork repairs have been carried out in some areas, authorities admit that many roads need complete reconstruction to restore them to usable standards.
As the rains continue, residents fear the city’s battered road network will deteriorate further, deepening the daily struggles of motorists, commuters and businesses alike.
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