Road Funding Not the Problem, Implementation Is — ZINARA CEO

By Post Business Reporter

The Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) has dismissed growing criticism over the country’s slow-paced and incomplete road rehabilitation projects, insisting that local authorities are to blame for the delays due to poor project management, failure to acquit funds, and bureaucratic inefficiencies.

Speaking during a recent inspection tour of the Bulawayo–Nkayi Road, ZINARA Chief Executive Officer Nkosinathi Ncube sought to clarify the organization’s role, stating that ZINARA’s mandate is primarily financial, to fund road maintenance and rehabilitation programs that are initiated and proposed by local councils. He said the agency neither selects the roads to be worked on nor directly manages construction projects, a distinction often misunderstood by the public.

“We do not determine the roads or the programs to be carried out,” Ncube said. “The process starts with the council. They come up with their road maintenance programs and budgets, and we fund based on what we can accommodate.”

Each year, local authorities are required to submit detailed road maintenance plans and corresponding budgets to ZINARA and the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development for evaluation and approval. Funds are then released based on the availability of resources and the quality of submissions.

Ncube explained that ZINARA typically releases an initial deposit at the beginning of the year to allow councils to commence work immediately after the rainy season. However, while some councils complete projects efficiently and promptly acquit their funds to qualify for additional disbursements, others drag their feet, delaying progress for months.

“Some do a good job, acquit the funds, and come back for more,” he said. “But others wait until November, that’s where the problem lies.”

According to ZINARA’s latest financial disbursement records, several councils across the country still have unacquitted funds dating back to late 2024. This has rendered them ineligible for new funding allocations in the first quarter of 2025.

“Some of them cite procurement delays and inadequate funding,” Ncube noted. “But at the end of the day, the ball is in their court. The issue lies with council processes. That’s where municipalities now separate, the boys from the men.”

Ncube said ZINARA’s mission to support national infrastructure development was being undermined by councils that fail to meet basic accountability requirements. Inefficient procurement systems, poor financial reporting, and weak project monitoring have collectively slowed progress on many strategic roads, particularly in rural districts where road access is vital for economic activity and service delivery.

In Bulawayo, ZINARA is currently funding the rehabilitation of the crucial Bulawayo–Khami Prison access road, a project Ncube described as “high-impact” and essential to the city’s development plans.

“In Bulawayo and other major cities, we are working closely with both the city council and the Ministry of Transport to ensure that projects which truly matter to communities are prioritized,” he said. “We have urged them to focus on high-impact work that people can actually feel.”

As part of the ongoing works, ZINARA has allocated 52,000 litres of fuel to the Bulawayo City Council for use in its road maintenance projects, of which only 15,000 litres have so far been accessed.

“This is a sign of progress, but it also shows that more needs to be done,” Ncube added. “We hope they will fully utilise the remaining balance to complete the outstanding works.”

Ncube reiterated that while ZINARA continues to make funding available, the overall success of road rehabilitation in Zimbabwe ultimately depends on how effectively local authorities manage project implementation, procurement, and financial accountability.

“ZINARA’s role is to fund, not to implement,” he said. “Successful road delivery depends on how efficiently councils manage procurement, implementation, and accountability.”

His remarks come amid growing public frustration over the poor state of the country’s roads, despite the introduction of several road rehabilitation programs under the government’s Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP). With the rainy season approaching, questions remain about whether local councils will meet their project timelines or whether the funds allocated by ZINARA will once again be tied up in red tape and incomplete paperwork.