Story by Courage Bushe
THE rehabilitated Ngungumbane-Mataga Road in Mberengwa has been officially commissioned, marking a significant milestone in Zimbabwe’s ongoing infrastructure development programme under the Second Republic.
The 30-kilometre road links Mberengwa to Zvishavane and serves as a strategic gateway to Masvingo Province, improving transport efficiency and facilitating local economic activity. Before rehabilitation, the road was prone to accidents and vehicle breakdowns, presenting daily challenges to commuters and transport operators.
Residents and motorists welcomed the upgrade, highlighting the tangible benefits of improved road infrastructure.
“We used to have a lot of problems with regard to breakdowns. Now that the road is smooth, everything is now a thing of the past,” a beneficiary said.
“We want to thank our Government for this development because before this rehabilitation exercise, we had so many accidents on this road, but now it is a thing of the past. Transport fares will go down because of this road, and I believe this will boost the economic activities of this area,” a motorist said.
“I want to thank our President for this road. We need more of such projects,” a community member said.
Government has reiterated its commitment to continue rolling out transformative projects in rural communities.
“In Mberengwa, we are not sitting on our laurels, we are moving forward with development. We are expecting to finish the Chaora irrigation before the commencement of the winter season. We are also working on the construction of the Mabori Bridge. These developments clearly show how our President is walking the talk on infrastructure development,” Mberengwa East legislator Honourable Tasara Hungwe said.
Midlands Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Owen Ncube, noted that the project aligns with the National Development Strategy 2(NDS2).
“This state-of-the-art road infrastructure development project aligns with NDS2 pillar on Infrastructure Development and Housing, which prioritises the development, expansion, upgrading and maintenance of key social and economic infrastructure across transport, energy, water and sanitation, ICT, health, education and housing sectors pivotal in advancing the attainment of a prosperous and empowered upper middle-income society by 2030,” he said.
The rehabilitation of Ngungumbane-Mataga road is part of the many infrastructure development projects being spearheaded by the Second Republic as the country angles to attain an upper-middle-income society status by 2030.
