By Virginia Njovo
Masvingo city councilors have expressed frustration over the local authority’s failure to renovate and utilize Mucheke rank, despite numerous resolutions calling for its upgrade and relocation of all vehicles to the facility.
This came out during a full council meeting held at the Town House on May 27, where ward 10 Councillor Sengerayi Manyanga criticized the council’s failure to revive the terminus saying Masvingo City was supposed to draw inspiration from other local authorities.
“We should go and learn from Murambinda Growth Point. I was there recently, and their bus rank is well-structured. Meanwhile, here in Masvingo, we are failing to manage our small city. Buses are picking passengers all over town, and we are just sitting in here passing resolutions with no real action,” said Manyanga.
Councillor Esnath Zishiri, weighed in and called for immediate internal efforts to refurbish the facility rather than waiting for external contractors.
“I doubt the toilets there are even functional. Why don’t we assign our own workforce to refurbish the toilets, painting, re-marking lines, and general repairs? Forcing bus operators to return to the old terminus in its current state might only be a temporary fix. We need to fully restore it,” said Zishiri.
Ward 1 councilor Sabina Chikwangwani, whose jurisdiction the rank falls under, said water was already available at the site and added that only minimal repairs were needed.
“The toilets at Mucheke Rank are functional but need minor touch-ups. If that’s the main issue, then restoring the terminus shouldn’t be a major challenge,” she said.
Despite repeated commitments, Masvingo City Council is yet to deliver on its promise to renovate Mucheke Rank.
Long-distance bus operators do not use the rank and opt to use undesignated pickup points in the Central Business District (CBD) especially Old Croco Motors, a move that continues to disrupt order in the city and deprive the local authority revenue.
In 2022, the Mucheke Bus Terminus was listed under the city’s investment promotion plans during budget consultations. It was identified as a potential revenue stream for the local authority. However, the site has remained idle for years, with no significant refurbishment work taking place.
That same year, council resolved to relocate buses from the CBD to Mucheke under a proposed build-operate-transfer (BOT) partnership, modeled on a concept reportedly borrowed from Gweru City Council. Yet the plan has yielded no tangible results.
Several council resolutions aimed at removing public transport operators from the CBD have also failed. The informal pick-up points lack essential infrastructure, including ablution facilities and running water.
This has led to public health concerns as travelers resort to using alleys and sanitary lanes. The current situation also deprives the city of much-needed revenue that could be collected through organized rank fees.
In a full council meeting held in, councilors had resolved that the Old Croco Motors rank be transformed into a pickup point and would install a boom gate to generate revenue for old Mucheke Bus Terminus renovations.
The matter has been debated in almost every full council meeting but no solution or resolution has been implemented.
Mucheke Bus Terminus was abandoned over a decade ago, with long distance buses going to Harare or Bulawayo using the Old Croco Motors as rank. Those going to the east use Metro Peach Downtown rank and the issue has remain unsolved for years.
Zaka Rural District Council recently managed to remove all illegal ranks and moved all vehicles to the main terminus.
