Road construction blitz to ensure polling stations are accesible

The government has said it has launched a road rehabilitation blitz across the country to ensure accessibility to polling stations during the upcoming elections.

The 2023 harmonised elections are slated for 23 August and once again, opposition’s Nelson Chamisa and incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa will face off for the presidency.

In post-Cabinet briefing, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa, said the blitz was necessitated by the need to ensure that every eligible voter exercise their right to vote.

“The nation is advised that the Government launched a blitz maintenance of access roads to polling stations throughout the country in order to allow every eligible voter to access the nearest polling station and exercise their right as enshrined in the Constitution,” she said.

Government claims 4 000km out of the targeted 6 145 km have been facelifted by grading, gravelling and pothole patching in the rural provinces.

“A total of 18 kilometres out of a targeted 216 kilometres of drainage structures on bridges, pipe drifts and culverts were attended to and the works are still on-going. Zimbabwe continues to beef up its preparedness for the August 23, 2023 harmonised elections,” Mutsvangwa said.

In 2021, President Mnangagwa declared a State of Disaster in all rural and urban areas. Road rehabilitation was also one of president Mnangagwa’s election promises of 2018.