Published: 54 mins ago

Residents of Shurugwi District, including traditional leaders, have strongly opposed Government plans to establish a new tollgate along the recently rehabilitated Mhandamabwe–Shurugwi Road, arguing that the district is already overburdened with toll fees.

Officials from Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) held a stakeholder consultation meeting at the Tongogara Rural District Council boardroom last Friday to discuss the proposed tollgate, which would be located near Musavezi River and the Makotosi turnoff.

If approved, the new tollgate would sit between two existing tollgates at Mhandamabwe and Guinea Fowl, meaning motorists travelling the route would encounter three tollgates within a stretch of less than 100 kilometres.

Kenneth Sakupwanya, representing the Ministry of Transport official Engineer Stephen Kamutema, said the proposal was motivated by increased traffic volumes following the upgrading of the road, which has become a key route linking Beitbridge with Gweru, Kwekwe and Kadoma.

However, residents at the meeting questioned why Shurugwi District should carry what they described as an unfair concentration of tollgates compared to other parts of the country.

Chief Nhema said the tollgate would negatively affect ordinary villagers, including those making short local trips to shopping centres, churches and relatives.

"Apart from daily hustles with these tollgates, our children who come home for holidays will be restricted from driving locally and visiting relatives, going to business centres to meet friends or to churches," he said.

Ward 18 councillor Stewart Tavagwisa warned that the tollgate could disrupt local business activity, especially in the construction sector where trucks frequently transport river sand from Musavezi River to nearby growth points.

Residents also expressed scepticism over assurances that toll revenue would benefit the local community through road maintenance funding and discounted toll fees for people living within 10 kilometres of the proposed site.

Chief Nhema dismissed the promises, saying communities had historically maintained local roads without meaningful Government support.

"These are just promises. We know that after establishing the tollgate you are not going to come back and talk about those discounts or to give us money to maintain our roads," he said.

Some residents argued that despite overwhelming opposition during the consultation, authorities appeared determined to proceed with the project.

Zinara regional manager Enock Masocha defended the user-pay system, saying tollgate revenue was necessary to rehabilitate and maintain roads after Zimbabwe lost access to international financing.

"No one is happy with tollgates. The money raised is used to rehabilitate roads," Masocha told the meeting.
- Mirror

You might also want to read this

• Tollgate evaders cost Zimbabwe millions
• Tollgate, vehicle insurance fees to go up 'very soon'
• Esigodini tollgate under expansion to ease Zanu-PF congestion
• Irate residents to dump garbage at Town House
• Zinara to computerise all tollgates