The Zimbabwean government has kicked off yet another controversial road construction project — this time a US$99 million “sand heap” interchange and bypass highway in Mutare — sparking fears of a repeat of the widely condemned Mbudzi “Trabablas” Interchange fiasco.

The new project, awarded to Leengate Private Limited, will see two modern traffic interchanges constructed on either end of the 31.2km Christmas Pass Bypass Road, which circumvents the treacherous slopes of Christmas Pass. While officials have hailed it as a long-awaited solution to recurring truck accidents in the area, critics are already warning that the scheme risks becoming yet another multi-million-dollar boondoggle marred by sand heaps, collapsed bridges, delayed works and zero accountability.

Preliminary works quietly began last Thursday, with bush clearance near the Romeo Turn-off, according to Engineer Raphael Sigauke, the Manicaland Provincial Roads Engineer. However, no machinery has yet been deployed on the ground, and there is no published project breakdown, feasibility study, or costed engineering designs accessible to the public — a hallmark of previous murky tenders under the so-called “Second Republic.”

Leengate director Commence Chivanga refused to provide details on the scope of work or procurement process, stating vaguely that “mobilisation is an ongoing process.” This echoes previous evasions during the ill-fated Mbudzi Interchange rollout, which has now gone three years behind schedule, riddled with allegations of corruption, contractor incompetence, and environmental violations.

The Christmas Pass Bypass was first proposed in 1992. For decades, it remained dormant due to lack of funding and public consultation. Suddenly revived under President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s infrastructure drive, the current iteration is raising red flags for its lack of transparency, astronomical price tag, and selection of a little-known private contractor without open tendering.

Government sources claim the bypass will reduce traffic pressure and eliminate frequent accidents along the dangerous curves of Christmas Pass. However, independent analysts argue that the proposed interchanges — including one next to Mutare Teachers’ College — appear overdesigned, unnecessary and suspiciously inflated in cost, particularly in a country facing hospitals without paracetamol and workers going months without salaries.

“This is the Mbudzi Interchange disaster 2.0,” said a senior civil engineer who requested anonymity. “The government is repeating the same pattern: no independent oversight, no transparent tender process, and a politically connected company doing the work. In 15 months, expect sand heaps, collapsed culverts, and a press conference blaming sanctions.”

Minister of Transport Felix Mhona confirmed the project has commenced, while Manicaland Minister of State Advocate Misheck Mugadza framed it as “a promise fulfilled by our President.” Neither addressed how Leengate was selected or what mechanisms are in place to audit the US$99 million being pumped into the project.

The bypass road, which will link the Beira Corridor to Zambia, Malawi, and the DRC, will also include the rehabilitation of the problematic Murahwa (Sakubva) Market Bridge, another longstanding infrastructure black hole. However, with Leengate yet to produce a timeline, budget justification, or construction drawings, many fear the bridge revamp — like the rest of the project — will become another symbol of Zimbabwe’s infrastructure without delivery.

With the ghost of Mbudzi still haunting taxpayers, Mutare residents and opposition figures are already calling for a forensic audit and public disclosure of project documents, demanding answers on why the government is continuing to fund interchange white elephants while schools and clinics rot.

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