Bulawayo-Nkayi Road Funds Stolen - Tshabangu
Matabeleland North province senator Sengezo Tshabangu has said the prolonged construction of the Bulawayo-Nkayi Road, which has remained incomplete for 31 years, is largely due to contractors misappropriating funds intended for the project.
Tshabangu, who serves as the leader of the opposition in Parliament, made these remarks during a virtual discussion organised by the Bubi Community Parliament (BCP) on Tuesday.
The discussion centred on the theme: “A Special Appeal to the Powers That Be on the Completion of the Bulawayo-Nkayi Road: Responsibilities of Society and the Business Community in This Project.”
Tshabangu said the Nkayi-Bulawayo Road construction project began in 1993, yet only 65 km of the 158 km stretch—from Bulawayo to Queens Mine—has been completed. He said (via Southern Eye):
Nkayi Road identifies with the people of Matabeleland and you cannot speak about Matabeleland without including Nkayi. When it has no development, it raises questions.
On companies that were doing the Nkayi-Bulawayo Roads, they are not from Matabeleland. They are companies which have no history.
They have no track record of where they once did roads in a way that meets international standards.
There are many companies that have done that road to date. I recently engaged the Finance minister (Mthuli Ncube) about the same road.
He told me that five companies that were there had been mired in corrupt activities. They abused funds.
This is why today, if you go along that road, there is no activity because companies that were there, they were five and were given segments on the distances they should cover.
But these companies, I cannot mention their names, diverted funds and the minister is saying he will retender the road to ensure progress.
During the discussion, Nkayi South legislator Jabulani Hadebe (CCC) said the government should ensure that developmental projects are implemented uniformly across all regions, rather than allowing Matabeleland to fall behind. He said:
The Nkayi-Bulawayo Road has taken 31 years now and this is sad. This project started long back. But you will realise that there are some roads in the eastern part of the country such as Harare-Chirundu, Harare-Masvingo and others, which were started recently and have been done in a short space of time.
But, sadly, ours in Nkayi has taken such a long time. Our area has been marginalised for a long time, but as an MP for Nkayi South, I will work with other MPs, chiefs and senators so that we push for the construction of our roads to be like those in the eastern parts of the country.
Meanwhile, Tshabangu urged the people of Matabeleland to establish local companies capable of undertaking road construction projects.
He said parliamentarians will advocate for the Executive to prioritise local firms for constructing roads as the roads hold sentimental value to them.
The construction of the 158km road linking Bulawayo and Nkayi Centre in Matabeleland North started in 1993 and was supposed to be completed by 1999.
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