MP’s 15-hour journey sparks promise on Bulawayo–Victoria Falls Road
Parliamentary Watch
BULAWAYO — Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona has told Parliament that the government will begin work on the deteriorated Bulawayo–Hwange Road, after an MP said travellers had spent 15 hours on the route.
The commitment came during Question Time in the National Assembly on September 2, when Hon. Remigius Matangira pressed the minister to prioritise the road.
“Is it possible for the Bulawayo-Hwange Road to be given priority because I witnessed this with my own eyes?” Matangira asked.
“We spent 15 hours driving from Bulawayo to Hwange.”
The route is a key link between Bulawayo, Hwange and Victoria Falls, serving communities, freight traffic and tourists travelling to the country’s major tourism destinations.
Mhona said the road required substantial funding but told the House that eight companies were already in place to work on it.
“The road you mentioned is very important because tourists who visit the country also want to see tourist attractions, whether animals or our falls. They also want to use that same road,” Mhona said.
“This is also the same road which needs a lot of funding, but as I mentioned earlier, we have about eight companies in place working on the road.”
He said the ministry intended to use funds it had accumulated to pay contractors working on the Victoria Falls Road in the coming weeks, adding that the contractors would work jointly.
“So, I promise you that we are going to start with this road,” Mhona said.
Matangira also asked whether rural infrastructure bodies could help with roads leading to traditional leaders’ homesteads, saying some chiefs could not reach their homes by vehicle despite the government providing them with cars.
Mhona did not provide a timetable for the start of work on the Bulawayo–Hwange stretch or indicate the scope of the initial rehabilitation works.
The Bulawayo–Hwange Road is a key transport corridor linking Bulawayo with Hwange and Victoria Falls. It serves local communities, freight operators and tourists travelling to some of Zimbabwe’s major attractions, including Hwange National Park and Victoria Falls, but its deteriorated condition has raised concerns over travel times, road safety and the cost of transporting goods.
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