Accident-Prone Shurugwi Boterekwa Set For Dualisation
The government has announced it targets the dualisation of the accident-prone Shurugwi Boterekwa road to facilitate the easy movement of trucks that pass through the escarpment.
Midlands Provincial Affairs minister Larry Mavima last week said the dualisation of the Shurugwi Boterekwa road project was meant to minimise traffic accidents on the sloppy terrain.
He added that there was a likelihood of an increase in economic activity in the province due to the dualisation of the road. Mavima said:
_Dualisation of Boterekwa road clearly shows government’s commitment to build roads that are up to Southern African Development Community (Sadc) standards._
_The road can be used by huge trucks and large volumes of trucks to ferry goods from South Africa up to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Dualisation will also eliminate numerous accidents that happen as a result of the narrowness of the road. Once this is achieved in the shortest possible time, it will, indeed, increase the gross domestic product of the province and that of the country as a whole._
Mavima added that the JOC [Joint Operations Command] will soon meet to determine how best to eliminate the issue of illegal mining.
He warned illegal miners against damaging government infrastructure saying authorities will get them despite their connections.
Over the years, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has encountered hurdles in dealing with illegal miners, particularly in the Midlands province.
The miners, some of whom are backed by politicians who benefit from the illegal mining activities, have left a lot of environmental degradation.
Last year, part of the Boterekwa road collapsed as a result of illegal mining activities in the mineral-rich town.
This week, EMA issued Musasa mining syndicate in Shurugwi with a seven-day ultimatum to rehabilitate the environment after the company started operating without the mandatory environmental impact assessment certificate.
The mine was carrying out illegal alluvial gold mining near Mutevekwi River located just outside the mining town along Shurugwi-Zvishavane highway.
More: Pindula News; NewsDay; ZELA
