Bulawayo roads crumble under strain of heavy rains

Source: Bulawayo roads crumble under strain of heavy rains – herald

Raymond Jaravaza, ray.jaravaza@chronicle.co.zw

BULAWAYO’S access roads into western and eastern suburbs, which form part of the citywide road network that links main roads to millions of homes, are choking under the weight of potholes, exacerbated by persistent rains received this season.

While the Bulawayo City Council (BCC), albeit at a frustratingly slow pace, continues to rehabilitate major roads that link the city centre to all the 29 wards, access roads have largely been left unattended.

This has resulted in motorists paying a heavy price for navigating through pothole-filled and damaged access to roads leading to their homes.

In the western suburbs, major artery roads such as Luveve Road and Khami Road, which connect the city to suburbs such as Mpopoma, Magwegwe, Pelandaba and Pumula, among others, Masiyephambili Drive and Plumtree, are constantly rehabilitated by BCC.

The city’s network of access roads, however, is crumbling under the strain of heavy rains, deepening potholes, forcing vehicle owners to leave them at car parks instead of their own homes.

Mr Quinton Moyo works in the city centre and uses Luveve Road, but cannot access his home in Lobengula West by car.

The closest car park has become the place of choice to leave his vehicle and walk about a kilometre to his home.

“It’s a daily struggle trying to navigate through the potholes from Luveve Road to my home, which is Lobengula West suburb,” he said.

“The sheer size of the potholes along the access from the main road makes it impossible to drive a small car such as the Mazda 323 that I own.

“I find it easier to just leave my car at the car park and pay a negotiated US$20 for a month than to try and drive it home every day in the mornings and evenings,” he said.

Bulawayo Mayor Councillor David Coltart agrees with frustrated residents that access roads in the city are now impassable.

In a short video recently posted on his Facebook page, Mayor Coltart explained that he receives so many complaints from residents about the state of access roads in Bulawayo.

In the video, he showed a section of an access road that he also uses on a daily basis, which is now in a deplorable state.

“I get a lot of complaints virtually every day from residents regarding the state of roads in the city and I think it’s important that I show the state of the road leading to my own home,” he said. “It’s an absolutely appalling state, used to be a tarred road but has been destroyed over time.

“For the sake of residents, I have told our director of works (BCC) that this is the last road that will be repaired in Bulawayo because I can’t face the complaints of residents if I know that the road leading to my own home is in a better condition.”

He noted that, despite the shortage of resources, BCC is doing all it can to fix the city’s broken road network.

“I want to assure residents that I’m aware of the bad state of our roads, as I also drive on one such road every day. I am doing everything I can to fix our roads despite the enormous challenges and shortage of resources,” he said.

Meanwhile, commuter omnibus operators have resorted to avoiding smaller roads in both western and eastern suburbs.

The worsening road conditions have disrupted public transport, with some routes being completely abandoned by kombi drivers.

Passengers who once enjoyed being dropped off at stops within their neighbourhoods now face long and often dangerous walks home.

In Magwegwe North, kombis used to access various stops throughout the suburb. However, with the roads now virtually impassable, residents say they are being dropped off at a single terminus, forcing them to walk long distances, sometimes late at night.

For Mrs Martha Ncube, a vegetable vendor in Magwegwe North, early mornings have turned into a daily gamble.

“Crime has gone up. We are seeing more people being mugged because we are forced to walk long distances in the dark. I have to wake up at 4 AM to get vegetables in town, and that walk to the terminus is terrifying,” she said.

Ms Ncube said the drivers refuse to go deeper into the suburb because the roads are too bad.

The worsening road conditions are not just inconveniencing passengers but are hitting transport operators where it hurts most.

Vehicle maintenance costs have skyrocketed as potholes take their toll on tyres, control arms, and suspension systems.

Bulawayo United Passenger Transporters Association (Bupta) chairman, Mr Morgan Msipa, whose organisation operates 1 300 kombis across the city, painted a bleak picture of the impact of the road crisis.

“Kombi operators are not refusing to take people closer to their homes out of malice, they simply can’t afford the damages,” said Mr Msipa.

According to BCC statistics, the city has over 2 400 km of roads, many of which are in dire need of rehabilitation.

While patchwork repairs have been attempted in some areas, many roads require complete reconstruction to restore them to a usable state.