Story by Courage Bushe
MIDLANDS PROVINCE – VILLAGERS and transporters in Mberengwa have welcomed the emergency road rehabilitation programme, which has seen the government resurfacing the 30-kilometer Ngungumbane-Mataga Road.
With over 10 kilometers already resurfaced, both villagers and transport operators say the project marks a turning point in improving access to essential services in the area.
“We are very happy and grateful to our listening leader, President Mnangagwa, for responding to our request. We are now witnessing the roads being fixed,” one villager said.
“We had problems in the past with this road, but things are beginning to happen now,” said another villager.
The long-neglected road, which links communities to schools, clinics, markets and agricultural schemes had been in bad state for years posing challenges for both public and transport operators.
Speaking during an assessment tour of the road works, Midlands Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Owen Ncube, said the project is part of the Second Republic’s broader vision to develop rural infrastructure and improve livelihoods.
“We have many schemes here in Mberengwa, and farmers have been crippled by transport challenges, and this was affecting the growth of the district. The new dispensation has shown that it is committed to improving the welfare of its citizens through the road rehabilitation programme,” he said.
The Ngungumbane–Mataga Road is one of many roads undergoing rehabilitation across Zimbabwe under ERRP, which was launched in response to the deteriorating state of roads, many of which were declared a national disaster in 2021.
The road upgrades are also aligned with Vision 2030, which seeks to transform Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income economy through infrastructure-led economic development.
