Priviledge Muchadenyika
Masvingo urban ward 8 councillor Against Chiteme said residents in his ward are worried by the prioritisation of main roads by the contractors working under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) at the expense of smaller roads.
Speaking during a full council meeting recently, Chiteme asked why Masvingo City Council is not chipping in to rehabilitate such smaller roads in poor state that the contractors are ‘neglecting’ in the leafy suburb of Rhodene.
“The roads that are still in good shape are the roads that are being rehabilitated, leaving the ones with pot holes that impassable. They are leaving out roads inside streets that are in bad shape, what are you Engineer ( apparently referring to Town Clerk) thinking about these roads?” said Cllr Chiteme.
Town clerk Engineer Edward Mukaratirwa suggested that each councillor whose ward deserves attention should bring the issue to council so that attention is paid to such areas hence rehabilitation of such roads.
“Each councillor should bring the names of the roads to council especially those that they think need attention and to be prioritized. The pressure we are getting both internally and externally is that funds are not sufficient for us especially as the year is about to end, Councillors should approach the engineer with a list of roads that need to be rehabilitated and we put resources towards that,” said Eng Mukaratirwa.
During a press conference after the full council meeting, Mukaratirwa told journalist that the roads that were being rehabilitated under ERRP were being monitored by the council while some were under the department of roads.
He went on to say most of the council monitored roads were complete while those that still have heaps of gravel are monitored by the department of roads.
“We have completed more than 90 percent of the roads we monitor and most of those you see with heaps are under the department of roads,” said Mukaratirwa
Residents and motorist complain that most roads still have gravel heat which affect movement while some complains that they can no longer get home with their vehicles since their streets are closed with sand
