MARTIN MAWAYA
GWERU-Mkoba South legislator John Kuka has pressed Government to urgently rehabilitate the battered Matobo-Gweru Road, warning that congestion, heavy mining traffic and years of neglect have turned the key economic corridor into a death trap.
Raising the matter in the National Assembly this week, Kuka demanded clarity on plans to upgrade the 84-kilometre stretch linking Gweru to Loreto Business Centre in Silobela, describing it as a critical artery for mineral haulage and agricultural produce.
“We note that the Road Rehabilitation Programme is going to take a long time,” Kuka said. “With the influx of vehicles on our roads, they will be delaminated. This road connects Gweru and Matobo; it brings revenue to the country because of the different minerals we find in Gweru. There are also many crops harvested in that area.”
He singled out the busy stretch at the Gweru roundabout near Mtapa Cemetery heading towards Matobo, saying congestion around Mtapa Market where farmers offload produce was choking traffic flow and fueling accidents.
“The road is not accessible because of congestion. What are the Government’s plans to alleviate accidents happening as a result of congestion? The Trabablas project can be replicated in Gweru so that we can access Matobo and other areas,” Kuka said.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona conceded that the road is in a deplorable state but pointed to funding constraints, effectively shifting the responsibility back to Parliament.
“The road in question is a secondary road in Midlands Province measuring approximately 84 kilometres,” Mhona said. “It comprises 38.4 kilometres of narrow surfaced bituminous road from Gweru and a further 45.8 kilometres of gravel road stretching to Loreto Business Centre.”
He said the tarred section requires widening to meet standard carriageway specifications, while the gravel portion needs full re-gravelling to restore structural integrity and ensure all-weather accessibility.
“Sections of the road are in deteriorated condition due to prolonged usage, limited maintenance interventions and increasing traffic volumes, particularly from heavy mining and commercial vehicles,” Mhona said. “The gravel section is especially prone to surface degradation and dust generation, negatively affecting surrounding communities.”
The minister said the road has been earmarked for rehabilitation under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme Phase 2 (ERRP2), with interim works being carried out under the Rural Roads Routine Maintenance Programme.
“Under this programme, the 45.8-kilometre gravel section will undergo grading to improve trafficability, while pothole patching and bush clearing will be carried out along the 38.4-kilometre surfaced section,” he said.
Mhona was blunt on the funding question.
“This august House is empowered with budgeting. Parliament has the onus to provide funding for road rehabilitation and, as a nation, we need to budget for road rehabilitation,” he said.
The exchange laid bare growing frustration in Midlands, where heavy mining trucks, commuter omnibuses and farmers’ vehicles compete for space on a narrow and ageing road network.
Residents say the Matobo-Gweru Road has become increasingly hazardous, with dust choking nearby homesteads during the dry season and muddy, impassable stretches emerging during the rains.
The route is strategically important, linking mining operations and farming communities to Gweru, the provincial capital, and connecting to the Kwekwe-Nkayi Road at Loreto.
While Government has promised rehabilitation under ERRP2, no clear timelines or budget allocations were disclosed in Parliament, leaving communities to endure patchwork maintenance as traffic volumes continue to rise.
