Herald Reporter

Over US$6,7 million has been collected from the 22 tollgates in Zimbabwe as of December 2009 and the bulk of the money was distributed for road maintenance programmes, a Cabinet Minister has said.

After the 10 percent Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and US$248 700 police deduction costs, US$5,8 million was deposited into the Zimbabwe National Road Roads Authority account.

Of this, about US$2 million was distributed to eight provinces.

This was said by Environment and Natural Resources Minister Francis Nhema, who was standing in for Transport, Communication and Infrastructure Development Minister Nicholas Goche, in Parliament last week during a question and answer session.

The minister was responding to a question from Matobo South House of Assembly Member Mr Gabriel Ndebele (MDC-T) who asked for an update of how money collected at tollgates was being used.

"At least US$2 million was disbursed to eight provinces for the maintenance of regional, primary and, to a limited extent, secondary road networks for pothole patching, grass cutting and bush clearing," he said.

The breakdown was: Manicaland (US$208 000), Midlands (US$263 800), Mashonaland Central (US$191 600), Mashonaland East (US$243 600), Mashonaland West (US$264 800), Masvingo (US$285 200), Matabeleland North (US$293 200) and Matabeleland South (249 800).

About US$600 000 was allocated for widening of tollgate sites, while US$248 700 was used to pay the ZRP.

Three sites — Eskbank along the Harare-Bindura Road; Ruwa along the Harare-Mutare Road; and Seke after Ziko Shopping Centre along the Seke-Wedza Road — have been widened.

"The Inkomo tollgate site is about 95 percent complete and the last one, Norton along the Harare-Gweru Road is being relocated to a new site because traffic is by-passing the tollgate using side roads leading into Norton and out of Norton," he said.

Minister Nhema said US$77 004 was allocated to traffic counting gadgets at 16 tollgate sites to verify collected toll fees.

Another US$500 000 went to the rehabilitation of the old section of the Harare-Norton Road from the Kuwadzana roundabout to just before Old Snake Park.

Of the balance, US$8 745 was used to buy 330 raincoats for ZRP staff manning tollgates.

Minister Nhema said another US$2 million was committed to the erection of tollgate shelters and the tenders went to Tega Steel and Morewear Industries. They are yet to start work.

"This leaves a balance of US$148 649.85, which is earmarked for the supervision of the erection of the tollgate shelters," he said.

Responding to another question, State Enterprises and Parastatals Deputy Minister Walter Chidhakwa said they were building a database for eligible persons to be appointed on the boards of State entities. Deputy Minister Chidhakwa was responding to a question from Mutasa South MP, Mr Misheck Kagurabadza (MDC-T), who wanted to know if the ministry had advertised for persons wanting to be board members.

"It is not possible for us to appoint members for individual State enterprises because they are under various parent ministries.

"We, however, hope that by creating this database we have brought in an additional aspect of corporate governance that says you must as much as possible pick from the best caliber in Zimbabwe to deploy to State enterprises," he said.

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