GOVERNMENT should ensure local people are employed during the construction of the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road, Hwange East legislator Joseph Bonda has said.
During the question and answer session in the National Assembly Bonda asked Transport and Infrastructural Development minister Felix Mhona on Wednesday last week, if the government had plans to employ people from surrounding communities on the rehabilitation of the Victoria Falls Road. In response, Mhona commended the nation for reaching the implementation stage of the rehabilitation of the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Highway.
“This project is a key milestone in our national infrastructural development agenda as this route lies at the intersection of several strategic development pillars, notably tourism, trade, mining and energy.
“The urgency of restoring this vital corridor has long been recognised and I am pleased to report that five contractors are currently on the ground, each working on a 51km stretch along Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Highway. The first one is from Bulawayo to Gwayi.
“As a ministry, we are working with determination to ensure that the entire corridor is rehabilitated by mid-next year. Beyond the economic significance of the project, at the national level, we remain deeply committed to ensuring that communities located along the highway benefit meaningfully from this development.”
Mhona said it was standard ministry policy to consistently communicate to all our contractors across the country that 100% of general labour, non-skilled workers, must be recruited from local communities within their zones of operation.
“This requirement is enforced through robust stakeholder engagement processes, which are carried out throughout the project.
“Furthermore, we strongly encourage our contractors to ensure that a reasonable proportion of these employment opportunities are allocated to women in line with our broader gender inclusion objectives.
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“In addition to employment, indirect economic benefits accrue to the surrounding communities. Contractors are encouraged to source catering, accommodation and other support services locally, which stimulates economic activity and income generation in these areas.”
Mhona said the ministry was fully aware of the importance of inclusive development.
“We continue to monitor and enforce policies that promote local participation and employment during the rehabilitation of the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road and, indeed, in all our national infrastructural projects,” he said.
