Published: 3 hours ago

Motorists navigating Zimbabwe's major highways, particularly the Beitbridge to Harare and Beitbridge to Bulawayo routes, continue to face a perilous reality marked by armed robberies, fatal accidents, and unfinished roadworks. Five years after ambitious government plans promised safer, fully rehabilitated roads, detours remain hazardous and incomplete, leaving the public to bear the human and economic cost.

In 2019, Zimbabweans on social media expressed skepticism over the government's ability to deliver. One user, Jack Van Beek, questioned whether the highway rehabilitation project would ever be finished, while Chimedzanemburungwa George criticised the prolonged completion of a mere 3km stretch near Beatrice. Today, their concerns have proven prophetic.

The detours between Rutenga and Ngundu and near the Chibi toll gate remain in terrible condition, despite millions collected monthly from tolls, vehicle licensing, and penalties. The deteriorating roads have led to countless accidents, extensive vehicle damage, and, tragically, loss of life.

For commercial drivers, the consequences extend beyond personal safety. Cross-border truck driver Sanangura Masere said the hazardous detours are diverting regional traffic away from Zimbabwe, costing the country vital revenue. "Those detours have scared many trucks from this shorter route," he said. "It is, however, pleasant to credit the good work on completed sections."

Crime compounds the danger. Beitbridge police recently arrested eight men preying on motorists slowed by treacherous detours, while two serial armed robbers, Gift Maphosa and Mpokiseng Dube, were jailed for 144 years each for targeting vehicles at the Rutenga detour. In a separate incident, a suspended CID officer from Mwenezi, Farai Simudzirai, was arrested for murder after allegedly killing a motorist at one of the highway detours.

The government's original plan involved hiring five local firms—Bitumen World, Fossil Contracting, Tensor Systems, Exodus, and Masimba Construction—to widen the road to SADC standards, with dualisation to follow. The projected cost was US$600 million, with the use of local contractors promoted as a way to save foreign currency.

Yet, progress has been painfully slow. A manager from one of the contracted companies, speaking on condition of anonymity, cited financial constraints as the main obstacle. "This work needs money. We need money for inputs and salaries and above all we need fuel… We also need salaries," he said.

Five years after the project was launched, motorists are left negotiating dangerous detours, criminals thrive on the vulnerable, and the government's promises remain largely unfulfilled—a stark reminder of the human cost of stalled infrastructure development in Zimbabwe.
- Southern Eye