Over 3,000 Kilometres of Harare Roads Need Urgent Rehabilitation, Parliament Told

More than 3,000 kilometres of road networks in Harare require urgent rehabilitation, highlighting the worsening state of urban infrastructure in Zimbabwe’s capital, Parliament has heard. Deputy Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joshua Sacco revealed the figures while outlining the condition of roads across the country during parliamentary proceedings.

According to Sacco, Harare has 3,772 kilometres of roads requiring resurfacing and rehabilitation, with only 316 kilometres having been rehabilitated so far. In Bulawayo Province, approximately 1,500 kilometres of roads need urgent attention, while 661 kilometres have already been resurfaced.

Sacco acknowledged that the scale of road deterioration remains a major concern, particularly in urban areas affected by potholes, damaged road surfaces, and inadequate maintenance. However, he said the government had launched programmes aimed at capacitating local authorities to improve road maintenance and infrastructure rehabilitation across Zimbabwe.

“Mr Speaker, whilst the number of kilometres surfaced is not sufficient, the Ministry has embarked on the capacitation of all road authorities in Zimbabwe to enable timely maintenance of road infrastructure,” Sacco said.

“This will greatly preserve the road infrastructure and lower the costs of road rehabilitation. It is in that regard that the Ministry aims to attend to all the roads that require rehabilitation as prescribed in the National Development Strategy.”

The worsening state of roads in Harare and other urban centres has become one of Zimbabwe’s most pressing infrastructure challenges, with motorists frequently complaining about potholes, damaged drainage systems, and unsafe road conditions.

The deteriorating condition of roads has also fuelled ongoing disputes between local authorities and the central Government, with both sides blaming each other for inadequate maintenance and delayed rehabilitation projects. City councils argue that the government has failed to disburse sufficient funding for road repairs and maintenance programmes. In Harare, the Harare City Council has resorted to temporary pothole patching measures and the use of quarry stones as short-term interventions in heavily damaged areas. Government has meanwhile intensified its national road rehabilitation programme as pressure mounts to improve transport infrastructure and road safety.

Responding to concerns over whether some provinces were receiving preferential treatment in road rehabilitation projects, Sacco said provinces with major highways and economic corridors naturally receive greater priority because of their strategic importance to regional trade and transport.

“Therefore, it is our responsibility to ensure that the development or resurfacing of these roads is done across the country,” he said. “However, as you may be aware, certain provinces like Masvingo, for example, have a road that comes from Beitbridge to Masvingo, the North-South Corridor, of which we have 139 kilometres that have been surfaced to date.”

He also cited the Bulawayo–Victoria Falls Highway as another key route contributing to the high number of resurfaced kilometres in Matabeleland North.

“So, some provinces have what we call major highways or corridors that feed the region, and these obviously will get preference over other smaller roads,” Sacco explained. “However, having said that, it is our role as a Ministry to work on all roads across the country and, resources permitting, leave no one and no place behind.”

Zimbabwe’s road infrastructure has come under growing scrutiny in recent years amid rising concerns over accidents, vehicle damage, transport inefficiencies, and poor urban planning.

Transport experts say deteriorating roads are increasing maintenance costs for motorists and businesses while affecting productivity, logistics, and public safety. The Government has repeatedly pledged to improve road infrastructure under the National Development Strategy, although funding constraints and economic challenges continue slowing rehabilitation efforts across many provinces.

Harare roads