Chiredzi RDC Takes Over Rehabilitation of Key Rutenga-Boli-Sango Road

By Beatific GumbwandaCHIREDZI – Chiredzi Rural District Council has assumed responsibility for rehabilitating a badly damaged 20-kilometre stretch of the Rutenga-Boli-Sango road in the Makambe area, partnering with the Ministry of Roads and Infrastructure Development, sister local authorities, and other stakeholders after years of unfulfilled promises.The Rutenga-Boli-Sango road is a major artery in Chiredzi South Constituency and serves as the shortest route connecting Zimbabwe to Maputo through the Sango Border Post. The road’s poor condition has severely affected trade, tourism, and the movement of goods and people, particularly during the rainy season when parts become impassable.The deterioration comes against a backdrop of long-standing unfulfilled government promises. In 2024, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development purported to have secured funding from the Development Bank of South Africa for the upgrade of Sango Border Post and the construction of the 149.9-kilometre Sango-Rutenga/Chiredzi Road. Two years later, nothing has materialized.In an interview with TellZim News, Chiredzi RDC Chairperson Aspect Mashingaidze said the council had stepped in to address the most critical section of the road.“We have taken over the Rutenga-Boli-Sango road rehabilitation in the Makambe area. This is a Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development road being attended to by CRDC as a partnership arrangement to improve accessibility and trafficability of a 20-kilometre stretch which had been badly damaged by the rains,” said Mashingaidze.He added that stakeholders rallied together to raise 2,200 litres of diesel to power the rehabilitation effort.“A total of 2,200 litres of fuel was raised by stakeholders, including support from the Ministry, Chiredzi Town Council, Koala Park Abattoirs, Wenjaile Logistics (Pvt) Ltd, myself, Mr Chidhakwa, and Mr Ngwenya. We sourced equipment from councils, a grader and TLB from CRDC and a tipper truck from Chiredzi Town Council,” he said.Mashingaidze expressed hope that the partnership model could be extended to cover more sections of the road network in the district.Chiredzi South is one of Zimbabwe’s most remote yet strategically significant constituencies. Its proximity to the Port of Maputo, one of the busiest ports in the region and its location within the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a major tourism destination, make good road infrastructure critical for economic development.Improved access would boost cross-border trade, tourism, and agricultural value chains, particularly for sugarcane, citrus, and livestock farmers who rely on efficient transport to markets.However, the constituency remains neglected. Its only link to the urban centre of Chiredzi the Chilonga Bridge requires an estimated US$75 million for proper construction. Reports indicate only ZiG30 million (approximately US$1.2 million at the bank rate) has been allocated, a figure barely scratching the surface of what is truly needed.The current rehabilitation of the Rutenga-Boli-Sango road, though limited to 20 kilometres, is seen by locals as a welcome stopgap measure.