MATABELELAND North province senator Sengezo Tshabangu has accused contractors working on the Bulawayo-Nkayi Road of converting funds meant for the project to their own use, leading to failure to complete the project for the past 31 years.
Tshabangu, who is the leader of opposition in Parliament, made the remarks during a virtual discussion organised by Bubi Community Parliament (BCP) on Tuesday this week.
The discussion focused on the topic A special appeal to powers that be on the completion of Bulawayo-Nkayi Road: What should be the responsibilities of the society and business communities in this project?
Tshabangu told BCP that the Nkayi-Bulawayo Road construction project started in 1993, making it 31 years since the construction of the 158km stretch started.
Making matters worse is the fact that only 65km of the road from Bulawayo to Queens Mine has been completed since the project started.
Tshabangu also lamented that with 2km done per year, the project could be completed in 90 years.
“Nkayi road identifies with the people of Matabeleland and you cannot speak about Matabeleland without including Nkayi. When it has no development, it raises questions.
“On companies that were doing Nkayi-Bulawayo Roads, they are not from Matabeleland. They are companies which have no history. They have no track record of where they once did roads in a way that meets international standards,” he said.
- Structureless CCC inviting ‘maggots’
- Reading between the lines on CCC recalls
- Letter to my People: Tshabangu debacle shows level of desperation
- CCC plots protests over recalls
Keep Reading
“There are many companies that have done that road to date. I recently engaged the Finance minister (Mthuli Ncube) about the same road. He told me that five companies that were there had been mired in corrupt activities. They abused funds.
“This is why today, if you go along that road, there is no activity because companies that were there, they were five and were given segments on the distances they should cover. But these companies, I cannot mention their names, diverted funds and the minister is saying he will retender the road to ensure progress.”
Tshabangu called on people from Matabeleland to form companies that can construct the road.
“If you look at the Old Gwanda Road, which was tendered after being pushed for by the chiefs, companies from Matabeleland were given the tenders. People from Matabeleland, who are in South Africa, will do that road. It will be constructed by the locals,” he said.
“So I appeal to those who are able to come up and form a consortium for tender. We will push, advocate and pursue that government considers locals to construct roads with sentimental value to them.”
Speaking during the same discussion, Nkayi South legislator Jabulani Hadebe (Citizens Coalition for Change) said the issue of Nkayi-Bulawayo Road's completion delays was shocking and saddening.
“The Nkayi-Bulawayo Road has taken 31 years now and this is sad. This project started long back. But you will realise that there are some roads in the eastern part of the country such as Harare-Chirundu, Harare-Masvingo and others, which were started recently and have been done in a short space of time,” Hadebe said.
“But it is sad that ours in Nkayi has taken such a long time. Our area has been marginalised for a long time, but as an MP for Nkayi South, I will work with other MPs, chiefs and senators so that we push for the construction of our roads to be like those in the eastern parts of the country.”
He, however, said President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s “Nyika inovakva nevene vayo/Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanini balo” catch phrase was tired.
He also challenged government to stop blocking opposition parties from conducting development projects.
Construction of the 158km road linking Bulawayo and Nkayi Centre in Matabeleland North started in 1993 and was supposed to be completed by 1999.
The Transport and Infrastructural Development ministry once contracted SX Construction (Pvt) Ltd to rehabilitate 14km of the road under the government-funded Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme 2.
Government had promised to do 15km of the road every year.
