Zimbabwe's finance minister Mthuli Ncube admitted the Trabablas Interchange cost a whopping $114 million to build. The government originally budgeted just $88 million for the massive road project in Harare. Ncube told shocked lawmakers the project went 32 percent over budget. The government borrowed the initial $88 million from Fossil Mines, a local company connected to business tycoon Kudakwashe Tagwirei. Officials had to dig up an extra $26 million from special IMF funds to cover the overrun.
Opposition MPs hammered Ncube over the budget blowout during heated parliament questioning. Dangamvura-Chikanga MP Prosper Mutseyami demanded explanations for the massive cost increase. Chinhoyi MP Leslie Mhangwa said the overrun could not be justified since all costs should be planned upfront. Ncube defended the spending by calling the interchange a world-class product. He insisted the government should build similar quality infrastructure across the country.
The finance minister blamed the extra costs on relocating families who lived where the interchange was built. Ncube claimed the government could not plan for relocation expenses ahead of time. He said cost overruns happen during project implementation and are completely normal. The minister broke down the spending into different categories including hard infrastructure, bridges, and supervisor fees. After completion, the government renamed the interchange Trabablas after President Emmerson Mnangagwa's war nickname.
Opposition MPs hammered Ncube over the budget blowout during heated parliament questioning. Dangamvura-Chikanga MP Prosper Mutseyami demanded explanations for the massive cost increase. Chinhoyi MP Leslie Mhangwa said the overrun could not be justified since all costs should be planned upfront. Ncube defended the spending by calling the interchange a world-class product. He insisted the government should build similar quality infrastructure across the country.
The finance minister blamed the extra costs on relocating families who lived where the interchange was built. Ncube claimed the government could not plan for relocation expenses ahead of time. He said cost overruns happen during project implementation and are completely normal. The minister broke down the spending into different categories including hard infrastructure, bridges, and supervisor fees. After completion, the government renamed the interchange Trabablas after President Emmerson Mnangagwa's war nickname.
