Bulawayo -Victoria Falls road rehabilitation works progressing well

 THE rehabilitation of the Bulawayo–Victoria Falls Road is progressing, with contractors on the ground and civil works on-going.

In line with the government’s mantra of leaving no one and no place behind, the Bulawayo–Victoria Falls road remains one of the high priority infrastructure projects, wholly funded by the Treasury.

On Tuesday, the ZBC News crew toured sections of the road and witnessed on-going compacting works in the Hwange – South mining area, among other road works.

The motoring public has expressed appreciation for the progress being made.

“This is exciting for us, especially those of us from Mozambique who love driving to Victoria Falls. The travel time is now shorter. We thank the Government of Zimbabwe for this initiative,” said a motorist.

“We will be travelling smoothly, and this will reduce operational costs. We will no longer be buying spare parts frequently,” added another.

The government says the entire road upgrade is expected to be completed by mid-2026.

“I am happy that the strategy we adopted in the ministry was to divide the entire 440 kilometres, focusing mainly between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls, where each contractor is responsible for about 51 kilometres. We deployed the first five contractors who began working on the detours, and an additional three contractors have since joined. This means eight contractors are now working on the entire stretch. This rehabilitation is crucial because the road is a gateway to the tourist hub of our country, Victoria Falls,” said the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Honourable Felix Mhona.

Some sections of the road have since been completed and opened to traffic.

The Bulawayo–Victoria Falls road is a vital link in the North–South Corridor, connecting South Africa through the Beitbridge border post with Zambia via Victoria Falls and Kazungula.

Source: Bulawayo -Victoria Falls road rehabilitation works progressing well (17/11/2025)

Mnangagwa Administration Caught In Embarrassing Lie Over Victoria Falls Road Project

 In an embarrassing about-face, Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development has publicly retracted a false claim that road construction contractors were already on site for the much-anticipated Victoria Falls project. The Ministry has since admitted that the tender process is still underway and no contractors have been deployed.

The blunder, disseminated via the Ministry’s official Twitter account on April 29 at 9:18 a.m., cited a state media report titled “Victoria Falls contractors on site” — a claim that turned out to be inaccurate. After facing swift backlash, the Ministry issued a formal apology and explanation, attributing the misinformation to a breach of internal protocol.

In its public statement, the Ministry wrote:

“The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development wishes to unreservedly apologise to members of the public and all its stakeholders for posting a twitter message containing wrong information on 29 April 2025 at 0918 Hours.”

The Ministry explained that the false information had been posted without proper verification from technical officials:

“One of the officers assigned the duty to manage the Ministry’s twitter handle conceded and acknowledged that she breached the internal Standard Operating Procedures of information verification,” the statement read.

Setting the record straight, the Ministry clarified the actual status of the project:

“The tender which was issued on 17 April 2025 closed on 29 April 2025 at 1100 Hours. After the closure of the bidding period, an evaluation committee will sit, whereupon the outcome will be sent to the Special Procurement Oversight Committee for oversight of the tender process before awarding the same to successful bidders.”

Permanent Secretary Eng. P.J. Makumbe, who signed off on the statement, reinforced the Ministry’s commitment to accurate public communication:

“The Ministry remains committed to the need for sharing correct information to members of the public.”

The incident has reignited criticism of the government’s infrastructure communication strategies, with observers raising concerns about professionalism and transparency within key departments.

Source: Mnangagwa Administration Caught In Embarrassing Lie Over Victoria Falls Road Project (01/05/25)

Zimbabwe forced to deny comical pothole photo was shot along Bulawayo-Victoria Falls road

HARARE – The government was on Monday forced to deny claims a viral image of three people believed to be tourists posing for a photo while sitting inside a huge pothole was taken along the heavily damaged Bulawayo-Victoria Falls highway.

The road, which links the rest of the country to the iconic Victoria Falls, has seen years of neglect by government leading to huge craters developing on the tired infrastructure.

Calls to have the road restored to its former usable state have seemed to go unheeded by authorities who have taken their time to make the necessary repairs.

Perhaps to illustrate the extent of the damage, three cheeky tourists took an amusing image while seated snugly inside a giant crater, forcing an embarrassed government into denial after the image went viral on social media.

In a statement, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development denied the image was taken along the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls highway.

“It has come to our attention that a social media post is circulating, showing 3 people posing in a pothole on a road claimed to be part of the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Highway,” said the ministry.

“While we acknowledge that certain sections of the highway are in dire need of rehabilitation, the images in the post do not correspond to any section of the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Highway.

“The sections requiring urgent attention are currently being addressed through a collaborative effort between the Department of Roads and Bitumen World. Work is already underway, with teams camped in Hwange, Halfway, and Insiza to ensure the road is rehabilitated efficiently.”

The Bulawayo-Victoria Falls road also links the rest of the country to the touristy Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe’s biggest wildlife habitat.

It is regarded a major source of wealth for a country heavily dependent on tourism.

Source: Zimbabwe forced to deny comical pothole photo was shot along Bulawayo-Victoria Falls road (11/03/25). 

Government in another promise to fix Bulawayo-Victoria Falls highway

AFTER numerous failed promises, the government has vowed to reconstruct the unnavigable Bulawayo – Victoria Falls highway, which has become a death trap for motorists.

Government has been making promises to address the road which has become difficult to navigate due to the potholes which have been a cause for many accidents.

Earlier this year, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, promised to address the road channel to the resort town with nothing tangible having materialised.

During the road rehabilitation programme which was carried out mid-year ahead of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit, the major highway among others in Matabeleland region, was left behind.

Responding to questions in the Senate Thursday, the Minister of Transport and lnfrastructure Development, Felix Mhona said government will address the road situation.

“I have traversed on most of the roads that he has mentioned. If you would relate, we were doing some sections, especially the Tsholotsho-Kezi road where we have done 5km which to me is inadequate given the length of the road.

‘We need to start from somewhere. Let me also acknowledge that in terms of road infrastructure, we have a road network close to 90 000km. Some areas were marginalised and I want to hasten to acknowledge that for years, our roads were neglected, not only the city roads but even rural roads.

“Some of our roads especially those going to places of our revolutionary icons, the roads were neglected. Alas, with the advent to the Second Republic, we have taken those roads on our radar,” said Mhona.

“Of great importance is the Victoria Falls road that the Senator has talked about, where we are going to start doing the road from Beitbridge to Bulawayo then to Victoria Falls.

“You will see us moving towards those roads and like the approach that we have agreed, not particularly doing 5km, but you will see us extending the works to quite a number of kilometres.”

Source: Government in another promise to fix Bulawayo-Victoria Falls highway (11/09/24)

Haulage trucks eyesore on Victoria Falls streets

LONG queues of haulage trucks parked on either side of the road just after Masue Bridge is the first thing a visitor into Victoria Falls encounters.

The hearty welcome Victoria Falls is popular for could soon be overshadowed by the ugly sight of the haulage trucks if no immediate action is taken.

Motorists, including tour operators’ vehicles carrying clients, have to reduce speed when approaching the Victoria Falls Truck Stop turn-off as the road that stretches up to Mkhosana turn-off has literally become a narrow strip due to trucks parked on either side.

There are also scores of touts and hawkers making the place an accident zone and a health hazard. Sex workers roam freely at night.

Residents on the CBZ stands west of the Hwange-Victoria Falls Road have to endure the dust which has even become a permanent coat to the interior and exterior of homes.

The place is a hive of activity as hawkers sell water and soft drinks to truck drivers while others solicit for jobs such as doing laundry.

Evenings have their own tale as sex workers have found a hunting ground.

The truck stop which is run by Victoria Falls City Council in a partnership with some private investors, can accommodate between 80 and 100 trucks at any given time.

Many park outside and sometimes there are close to 100 trucks between Mkhosana turn-off and the steep slope towards Masue Bridge.

The city mayor, Councillor Somveli Dlamini, said efforts are being made to find alternative land for parking.

“Our truck stop is overwhelmed by the volume of trucks hence many park outside which is not lawful though. The council is trying to find alternative land, this was once discussed in council but there hasn’t been a resolution,” he said.

Cllr Dlamini could not say whether the city has by-laws to regulate parking of the trucks.

Questions sent to council management had not been responded to by the time of going to print.

The truck drivers will be waiting for clearance to cross the border to Zambia or Botswana.

Some spend up to a month waiting for their documents.

Each truck, whether inside the truck stop or outside, is charged US$15 park fees for the whole period the truck is parked.

Drivers make fire to prepare their meals on the road side, posing the danger of starting veld fires.

The stretch of the road was also a traditional wildlife corridor as animals trek to the gorges.

A long-distance truck driver, Mr Gift Kapamba from Zambia, said they are also affected by dust while parked in the area.

Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association chairperson Mr Kelvin Moyo said residents have complained about the presence of haulage trucks.

“We are equally worried about the issue as it is both a health hazard especially for residents who live on the windward side and accident zone. We have received complaints from residents on the CBZ stands and we feel this should be speedily attended to. The council should provide alternative land for all trucks or come up with by-laws that regulate the situation there,” said Mr Moyo.

“However, there is no justification for people to see this as a hunting ground for commercial sex which we have seen happening. Besides sexually transmitted diseases there is also a danger of the spread of Covid-19 and accidents.”

A similar scenario is found at the Victoria Falls border where trucks block the no-man’s land between the Victoria Falls Bridge and Zimbabwean border and the entrance into the Rainforest.

Tour operators have complained about the issue at various fora saying their clients sometimes have to duck the trucks when walking to the bridge or entering the Rainforest.

Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe Matabeleland North chapter chairperson Mr Anald Musonza said while trucking business is a huge economic activity, it must be supported in a manner that allows other economic activities like tourism to survive.

“That issue needs urgent solution and trucks taken to designated parking sites. They have become a nuisance and blocking smooth movement of people in the city while also damaging roads. We are a tourism capital and the environment should be welcoming hence we need a more orderly parking process,” said Mr Musonza.

The presence of trucks negates the city’s drive towards a clean sustainable green tourism city.

Matabeleland North police spokesperson Inspector Glory Banda could not readily comment on the issue saying he had not been briefed on the situation on the ground.

Source:  Haulage trucks eyesore on Victoria Falls streets (02/09/2021)