By A Correspondent-The government has announced the commencement of rehabilitation works on the long-neglected Bulawayo–Victoria Falls Road, but the project is already drawing criticism amid widespread concerns of corruption, inflated costs, and poor workmanship—hallmarks of previous road infrastructure projects linked to companies associated with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s inner circle.
The new project comes just days after Mnangagwa commissioned the controversial and poorly constructed Mbudzi Traffic Interchange he calls Trabablas Traffic Interchange in Harare—a multi-million-dollar venture that has become a symbol of graft, shoddy workmanship, and elite enrichment.
The Mbudzi project, executed by the shadowy companies which includes politically connected contractors, has been heavily criticised for missed deadlines, collapsing detours, cost overruns, and lack of transparency.
Analysts warn that the Bulawayo–Victoria Falls Road upgrade may follow a similar trajectory.
The 435-kilometre highway is a vital regional trade and tourism corridor linking Zimbabwe to Zambia, Botswana, and Namibia. Yet, despite its strategic importance, the road has deteriorated into a death trap over the past decade—riddled with potholes, eroded shoulders, and crumbling surfaces that endanger motorists and stifle economic activity in Matabeleland North.
On Friday, President Mnangagwa greenlit the new rehabilitation project, awarding contracts to five local firms, raising eyebrows given the track record of politically aligned contractors previously tasked with national infrastructure works. Out of eight companies that reportedly bid for the project, five were selected under opaque circumstances that have prompted fresh concerns over cronyism and tender rigging.
Speaking to state media, Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Richard Moyo confirmed that the contractors were mobilising and would meet Transport Minister Felix Mhona in Gwayi for the official launch on Thursday.
“The Minister of Transport will meet the five contractors on-site,” said Moyo. “We are grateful to President Mnangagwa for prioritising this highway, which is vital for the province’s economy.”
The project is expected to take 10 months, with each contractor responsible for a section of the road in a kilometre-by-kilometre phased approach. However, many Zimbabweans remain sceptical, recalling the long list of abandoned or poorly executed projects that have benefitted politically exposed individuals while delivering little to the public.
Critics point to previous road projects—including the Beitbridge–Harare highway dualisation and the Mbudzi Interchange—as case studies in how the Mnangagwa administration has turned public infrastructure contracts into feeding troughs for loyalists. In many instances, companies with no verifiable construction experience have been awarded lucrative tenders, only to deliver substandard work or abandon sites altogether after being paid hefty advances.
The Bulawayo–Victoria Falls Road, which serves thousands of domestic travellers and international tourists annually, is essential for trade and tourism. It also facilitates the movement of coal and other resources from the Hwange region. Yet years of government neglect have left it in a perilous state.
Minister Moyo claims the rehabilitation will improve road safety, reduce vehicle maintenance costs, create jobs, and stimulate local businesses—particularly in the tourism and logistics sectors.
But civil society groups, transport operators, and residents say they’ve heard it all before.
As the roadworks begin, the nation watches with a mix of hope and suspicion. Many fear that, unless there is a drastic shift in how contracts are awarded and monitored, the rehabilitation of the Bulawayo–Victoria Falls Road may turn into yet another monument to corruption and mediocrity—just like the Mbudzi Interchange that Mnangagwa hailed with fanfare but which locals now call a “white elephant.”
Unless checks and balances are enforced, Zimbabwe’s critical infrastructure risks remaining trapped in a cycle of decay, looting, and empty political slogans.