By Otillia Makomo
HARARE, Zimbabwe’s ongoing road rehabilitation programme is increasingly transforming the country’s economic landscape by improving connectivity, reducing transportation costs, and stimulating industrial and agricultural growth across various sectors of the economy.
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Book NowThe initiative is being spearheaded by the Government through the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme Phase 2, a national infrastructure drive designed to restore and upgrade critical road networks throughout the country. The programme forms a key pillar in Zimbabwe’s broader development strategy aimed at accelerating economic growth and positioning the country toward achieving an upper middle income economy by 2030.
Leading the programme is the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Felix Mhona, whose ministry has intensified efforts to rehabilitate thousands of kilometres of roads across the country. Government targets under the programme include the rehabilitation of more than 50 000 kilometres of roads by 2025, a move expected to significantly improve both rural and urban mobility.
Among the major infrastructure projects under the programme is the strategic Harare–Masvingo–Beitbridge Highway, a key regional corridor linking Zimbabwe to South Africa and other markets within the Southern African Development Community region. The upgrading of this highway is seen as critical in strengthening Zimbabwe’s role as a regional logistics hub while facilitating increased trade flows between the country and its neighbours.
Improved road infrastructure has also begun to unlock opportunities in the agricultural sector, where better road networks allow rural farmers to access urban markets more efficiently. Analysts note that enhanced connectivity reduces post harvest losses, lowers transportation costs, and improves farmers’ access to essential inputs, ultimately contributing to increased productivity and rural economic development.
The importance of the programme was recently underscored when Minister Mhona, accompanied by the Minister of State for Harare Province Metropolitan Affairs and Devolution, Charles Tawengwa, officially opened the rehabilitated and upgraded Lorraine Drive to traffic in Harare.
Speaking during the commissioning, Minister Mhona emphasized that the upgrade of Lorraine Drive forms part of a broader strategy by Government to modernise urban road networks and ensure their seamless integration with major regional trade routes. Such projects, he noted, are essential in supporting economic activity, improving urban mobility, and strengthening Zimbabwe’s infrastructure base.
Infrastructure experts say sustained investment in roads is critical to national development as it not only facilitates trade and movement of goods but also supports tourism, industrial growth, and regional integration. With the continued implementation of the road rehabilitation programme, Zimbabwe is expected to further enhance its transport efficiency and reinforce its position as a strategic gateway for trade within Southern Africa.
The Government maintains that the expansion and modernisation of road infrastructure will remain a priority as it seeks to drive economic transformation, improve service delivery, and unlock new opportunities for communities and businesses across the country.
