ZINARA Hires 55 Local Contractors Creating Over 10 700 Jobs

ZINARA Hires 55 Local Contractors Creating Over 10 700 Jobs

Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) under the direction of Felix Mhona’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development has ignored calls to import Labour on fixing Zimbabwe’s once death trap roads and instead put faith in hiring local talent to do the damage.

Speaking to TechnoMag’s CEO and Editor in Chief Toneo Rutsito, Transport Minister Felix Mhona said
“We have been all over the country refurbishing our roads. Fifty five contractors have been engaged and over 10 700 contract workers have been hired.”

“We are proceeding to Chirundu. What you have seen here (at Beitbridge Border Post) will be replicated at Chirundu. We are also moving to feeder roads and dilapidated roads in locations,” Mhona added.

The 340 kilometres so far covered by the Ministry and Zinara represents about 58,6% of the 580 kilometre highway which conveys consignments from South African and other ports to the rest of the continent.

Over 100 international freighters also ferry Sadc’s minerals and industrial output to global destinations through the highway daily.

Constructed back in the 1950s as colonial powers swept through the region to tap into vast natural resource endowments, the Beigtbridge-Harare-Chirundu Highway had been extensively rundown during 40 years of the late strongman, Robert Mugabe’s reign.

This had held back development in Zimbabwe and frustrated the entire region’s transportation system.

The potholed narrow road with faded or no carriageway markings had turned into a death trap, while delays at Beitbridge and Chirundu border posts had become an eyesore.

Zimbabwe’s elite had looted resources while crucial infrastructure collapsed.