Staff Reporter

Rural councillors across the country have welcomed the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA)’s ZWL16 billion to be disbursed to the country’s four road authorities for road maintenance works.

The funds will be disbursed to the District Development Fund (DDF), the Department of Roads under the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, and to rural as well as urban local authorities in March this year.

ZINARA spokesperson, Tendai Mugabe recently confirmed that they will disburse the funds after receiving work plans from road authorities.

 “We have sixteen billion dollars for the year 2022 and the four road authorities have submitted their work plans to the ministry. Once approved, we will disburse the money after the rains subside probably in March,” he said.

Zvimba councillor Mr Tobius Mapuwire says the money will go a long way in rehabilitating rural gravel roads after the rain season.

“As you can see that our gravel roads are currently being damaged by the rains and there is need to maintain them after the rains have gone. We thank our Government for availing the funds. We promise that we will put the money into good use,” he said.

Makonde councillor Scholastic Matigi echoed the same sentiments adding that good roads will make the transportation of farmers’ produce to the market easier.

Meanwhile, government has indicated that it will be rehabilitating roads in the country’s high-density suburbs, which have been neglected over the years by the opposition led urban councils.

The Second Republic has made a huge milestones in the rehabilitation of the country’s roads under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP), which has seen highways and some major roads receiving a facelift under the programme.