Tendai Muererwa
Mutare-The City of MUTARE is taking significant steps towards becoming a smarter and more efficient town following the commissioning of locally developed hybrid traffic lights, upgraded school infrastructure and a new fleet of service delivery vehicles.
The hybrid smart traffic lights, developed by Kwekwe Polytechnic, are designed to enhance traffic management at busy intersections while reducing reliance on conventional electricity. Powered by a hybrid energy system, the traffic lights are expected to improve road safety, minimise congestion and continue operating during power outages, ensuring smoother movement of vehicles and pedestrians.
The project is being hailed as an example of home-grown innovation, demonstrating Zimbabwe’s ability to develop practical technological solutions to local challenges. It is also expected to reduce the country’s import bill by promoting locally designed infrastructure.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Professor Fanuel Tagwira said partnerships between local authorities and institutions of higher learning are producing practical innovations that directly benefit communities.
He said the successful design testing and installation of the hybrid smart traffic lights demonstrate Zimbabwe’s growing capacity to produce world-class technology while strengthening research, improving the quality of stimulating industrial growth.
Beyond traffic management, the City of Mutare also commissioned a classroom block at Hobhouse Primary School and a new ICT laboratory at Chikanga 1 Primary School. The additional classrooms are expected to ease overcrowding, create a more conducive learning environment and improve access to quality education for hundreds of pupils. The ICT laboratory will expose learners to digital skills from an early age, equipping them with knowledge required in an increasingly technology-driven world.
City of Mutare Town Clerk Blessing Chafesuka said the education projects were funded through the council’s Education Levy, with several more classroom blocks currently under construction at council schools across the city.
To improve municipal operations, the city also unveiled 10 Toyota Land Cruisers, a commuter omnibus, a brand-new excavator and a backhoe loader. The vehicles and heavy machinery are expected to strengthen road maintenance, refuse collection, emergency response and infrastructure development, enabling the council to respond more quickly to residents’ needs.
Chafesuka said the Land Cruisers were acquired from non-governmental organisations that had scaled down their operations, allowing the council to expand its fleet cost-effectively, while the excavator and backhoe loader were purchased new to enhance public works.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony on Saturday, the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza, said the projects reflect the city’s commitment to improving service delivery and advancing national development goals.
He said investments in education, technology and municipal infrastructure are essential for building resilient communities and achieving Vision 2030, adding that the projects demonstrate how local authorities can improve the quality of life for residents through responsive and sustainable development.
