Zimbabwe may consolidate road maintenance under central government control after Transport Minister Felix Mhona proposed removing local authorities from managing urban and rural thoroughfares. The minister told the Senate that municipal councils lack adequate engineering capacity and frequently deliver substandard construction work, contributing to two decades of infrastructure decline. Parliamentary approval would be required before the Department of Roads assumes responsibility for highways, trunk routes and city streets currently overseen by district and municipal administrations.
Mhona argued that unified management would accelerate repairs and eliminate jurisdictional confusion over traffic signals and drainage systems that technically fall under local government but draw ministerial scrutiny. Existing legislation permits temporary takeovers of neglected roads, though the minister seeks permanent authority to rehabilitate the entire network without departmental divisions. The proposal would merge or eliminate separate agencies, including the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency.
Mhona argued that unified management would accelerate repairs and eliminate jurisdictional confusion over traffic signals and drainage systems that technically fall under local government but draw ministerial scrutiny. Existing legislation permits temporary takeovers of neglected roads, though the minister seeks permanent authority to rehabilitate the entire network without departmental divisions. The proposal would merge or eliminate separate agencies, including the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency.
