By Virginia Njovo

In the pre-dawn darkness along the Harare-Beitbridge highway, the deep groan of an overloaded truck echoes through the night. Its suspension sags underweight far beyond legal limits, its tires bulging against tarmac that shows fresh cracks despite recent repairs. This scene plays out daily across Zimbabwe’s road network, but one parliamentarian is determined to change it.

On September 2, 2025, Hon. Discent Bajila, Member of Parliament for Emakhandeni-Luveve Constituency, rose in the National Assembly to present a motion that could transform how Zimbabwe protects its road infrastructure.

 Speaking to TellZim News, Bajila said his proposal calls for a nationwide network of weighbridges to finally curb what he described as “the persistent problem of overloading, which has become synonymous with haulage trucks in Zimbabwe.”

“This motion is of great national importance as unchecked overloading accelerates the deterioration of road infrastructure, shortens the lifespan of our highways, and increases maintenance costs.

“By enforcing proper weight limits, the motion seeks to preserve public investment in roads, enhance transport safety, and promote sustainable infrastructure development for the benefit of all citizens,” said Bajila.

In his motion, the parliamentarian emphasized the urgent need for action, stating that “unchecked overloading accelerates the deterioration of road infrastructure, shortens the lifespan of our highways, and increases maintenance costs.” He further stressed that the motion sought to “preserve public investment in roads, enhance transport safety, and promote sustainable infrastructure development for the benefit of all citizens.”

“Introduce comprehensive weight restrictions for goods vehicles on all major highways and suburban roads, distinguishing between road classifications and their respective load-bearing capacities. Establish clear procedures for the measurement and enforcement of these weight restrictions, including the mandatory use of weighbridges and portable weighing scales.

He also proposed the introduction of penalties for non-compliance with the stipulated weight restrictions.

“There should be penalties sufficiently deterrent to discourage overloading and mandate the display of maximum permissible vehicle weights on all goods vehicles, in a form, manner, and position as may be prescribed by regulation,” said Bajila.

The motion comes amid growing alarm over truck-related accidents and road damage. The MP’s proposal recalled several recent tragedies attributed to overweight vehicles.

In July 2025, a severely overloaded haulage truck transporting mining equipment lost control and overturned on the Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway, spilling its cargo and blocking this vital trade route for 18 hours. 

Preliminary investigations allegedly revealed the vehicle was carrying nearly 40% above its legal weight limit.

In August, the along-Chirundu Highway, an overloaded timber truck experienced brake failure while descending a steep incline, resulting in a multi-vehicle collision that claimed three lives and injured several others. Witnesses reported seeing the truck’s rear axle smoking from strain before the accident.

In May 2025, along the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road near Hwange, an alleged overloaded coal truck overturned while attempting to avoid a pothole, scattering burning coal across the roadway and causing a bush fire that took hours to contain.

The existing weighbridge at Birchnough Bridge, one of the few operational weighing stations in the country, has repeatedly recorded trucks exceeding weight limits by up to 50%. 

Similar problems have been reported at the Beitbridge weighbridge, where despite regular checks, many transporters continue to overload vehicles, especially during nighttime hours when enforcement is reduced.

Transport industry insiders describe a system where overloaded vehicles have become the norm rather than the exception saying companies would want to reduce costs by having many trips or more trucks.

“There’s tremendous pressure to move more cargo for less money. Many companies turn a blind eye to weight limits because it’s profitable in the short term – even if it destroys roads in the long term as well as the vehicles involved,” said one truck driver who asked to remain anonymous.

Hon. Bajila’s motion specifically highlighted how overloaded vehicles were destroying the nation’s infrastructure investment, noting that the situation required immediate legislative intervention.

He called for comprehensive measures that would introduce weight restrictions and establish clear enforcement procedures across all major transport routes.

The Emakhandeni-Luveve legislator’s proposal includes strategic weighbridge placement at all major border posts including Beitbridge, Chirundu, Forbes, and Nyamapanda, in addition to expanding existing facilities at Birchnough Bridge. 

It also calls for establishing critical domestic checkpoints on national highways and along mining and agricultural export routes.

The proposed system would mirror successful models in neighboring countries where weighbridges have reduced road damage by up to 40% while improving road safety statistics.

For communities along Zimbabwe’s trucking routes, the motion brings hope for safer roads and reduced maintenance costs. 

By Virginia Njovo

Some 268 families from Mwenezi living in Orewood suburb have been said to be living without basic water or sewer services, a situation that has forced them to use illegal septic tanks.

The development was revealed in the 2024 Auditor General’s report, seen by TellZim News, in which it was noted that Mwenezi Rural District Council had sold unserviced stands to the residents.

“On sewer and reticulation, the council allocated two hundred and sixty eight unserviced stands to beneficiaries in Orewood High density suburb. As a result, residents were using septic tanks and blair latrines which was against local government regulations which prohibit the use of septic tanks in such areas. In addition, the area was not connected to water reticulation system and residents had no access to safe water,” reads a part of the document.

The office of the Auditor General recommended that council should service the stands and the management responded saying that funds had been allocated towards servicing.

“There is a risk that residents may be exposed to disease outbreaks. Council should service the stands. The management’s response was that council has allocated funds for servicing the stands. Mwenezi RDC will collaborate with ZINWA to accelerate the piped water supply to Orewood high density suburbs,” reads a part of the report.

Mwenezi RDC was also fingered for operating without critical policies which is contrary to the Public Finance Management Act.

“Council was operating without policies such as asset management policy, debt management policy. This was contrary to the Public Finance Management Act (Chapter 22:19) section 50, which requires every public entity to adhere to and implement the principles of sound corporate governance. The risk is lack of guidance and inconsistency in the council’s operations,” reads a part of the letter.

The management said policy drafts were in place for most of the policies including asset management policy.

“It is agreed that Mwenezi RDC has no such policies in place. However, management is currently working on a number of policies including the one observed most of which are at draft stage. Management is committed to having an asset management policy, finance policy, ICT policy, risk management policy, recruitment of students on attachment policy and debt management policy.”

The local authority was said to be in arrears on the payment of salaries of which it noted that council management will in the future, try to meet all salary obligations if funds permit.

“The council was not generating enough cash flows to cover all its financial obligations. As a result, the council was three months in arrears on the payment of salaries and related deductions such as NSSA, pension, life assurance and medical aid. Out of total payables of ZWL$8.9 million, ZWL$8.2 million related to salaries. The risk is that service delivery may be compromised due to low staff morale,” reads the report.

The province’s councils also shared critical failures that appear epidemic in nature including violation of international accounting standards by using incorrect exchange rates, potentially distorting financial statements by billions.

By Staff Reporter

A vicious power struggle between Zaka Rural District Council (RDC) Chairperson Fungai Maregedze and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) David Majaura has exploded into the open, triggered by a fiercely contested and allegedly rigged hiring process for the position of Executive Officer (EO) for Housing and Social Services.

The scandal has laid bare profound divisions within the council, pitting elected officials against administration and revealing a tangled web of political influence.

The controversy centres on Clever Khumalo, a candidate from the council’s own social services department, who initially topped the interviews. His victory was short-lived. Councillors on the Human Resources committee, allegedly loyal to Chairperson Maregedze and unhappy that their preferred third-place candidate had lost, successfully pushed for the entire process to be nullified.

Khumalo refused to comment when he was contacted by TellZim News and reffered all questions to Majaura or Maregedze.

Majaura failed to answer his cell and Maregedze did not respond to questions send to her over the matter.

A full council meeting on August 8 ratified this decision, resolving that “a second round of interviews be conducted for the post in August 2025 with the same candidates,” according to official minutes seen by TellZim News.

However, in a move that breached the council’s own resolution, an additional, previously unvetted candidate was mysteriously added to the shortlist.

Highly placed sources within the council allege this candidate was given an unfair advantage as her responses were almost similar to the answer transcript.

“We suspect that the new candidate had seen the answer sheet because her answers were verbatim. She seemed to have crammed the script, reciting it to the dot without missing a comma,” said the source.

Unsurprisingly, the new candidate emerged victorious in the second round, demoting Khumalo to second place. The result ignited immediate fury among a faction of councillors, who are now crying foul and demanding the results be annulled.

“This is a clear case of rigging. We used to blame management for not implementing our resolutions, but now it is us violating our own word. How can we ever hold the administration accountable after this? It sets a dangerous precedent,” fumed a councillor who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The councillors argue that the inclusion of the new candidate was unlawful and are threatening legal action if the outcome is not overturned.

The contentious hiring stands in stark contrast to other recent recruitment processes at the RDC, which proceeded without incident.

Takudzwa William Kativhu was selected as the Human Resources and Administration Clerk, Trust Mtisi as the District Engineer, and Jephison Chikuni as the EO for Agriculture and Natural Resources.

This scandal is merely the latest battle in a long-running war between Chairperson Maregedze and CEO Majaura. Their feud, which has paralyzed development in the district, stems from Maregedze’s accusations that Majaura is incompetent and obstructive, while Majaura counters that the chairperson is overstepping her governance role to interfere in daily administration.

Critics, however, see a larger pattern of nepotism and a bid for total control. Maregedze’s husband, Clemence Chiduwa, is a powerful political figure being the Zanu PF Zaka DCC chairperson, sitting MP for Zaka South, and a former finance minister.

Many allege that Maregedze’s ascent to the council chairmanship and her current attempts to influence key appointments are part of a strategy to consolidate her husband’s political and economic influence over the entire district, turning the RDC into a family enterprise.