Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister Felix Mhona told the Senate during question and answer that the government will be opening the completed 10 kilometre part of the Kwekwe-Nkayi-Lupane road in the coming months.
The road (Kwekwe-Nkayi-Lupane) once completed is expected to be a huge boost to the transport sector as it will cut the Victoria Falls journey by about 200 kilometres when coming from Harare.
Speaking in the Senate, Minister Mhona said the road is very import, adding that the government has embarked on a massive road rehabilitation program and asked for patients as the roads cannot be attended to at one time.
‘’I want to assure the august House that we are there to stay (in Matabeleland South Province) and rehabilitate roads and not only that province and a very important road that she touched on the Kwekwe Nkayi-Lupane Road, which actually cuts your journey to Victoria Falls by over 200 kilometres, especially if you are coming from here.
‘’So, it is a very important road that we are also working on. In a few months to come, we will be opening the first 10 kilometres of that road, coming from Lupane side and we will actually cover coming from Kwekwe, that is Silobela, then up to Lupane and also do the entire road from Nkayi to Bulawayo.
‘’So, these are massive road rehabilitation programmes that are taking place but my usual humble plea to the people of Zimbabwe, there is no way we can attend to our roads at one time.
‘’We have got a huge network of roads and therefore calls for patience, which I think, if you continue indulging us, you will see us building our own country,’’ he said.
Victoria Falls is one of the top tourist destination in Zimbabwe, attracting both local and international tourists, some who use road.
Efforts by the Second Republic to rehabilitate and build roads is set help the tourism sector to grow in the country, as a significant number of tourists to Zimbabwe use road.
Tourism is one of the key economic pillars in Zimbabwe, together with agriculture and mining, and for all these sectors to thrive, they require a good road network.