DETOURS along Zimbabwe's major highways, particularly the Beitbridge to Harare and Bulawayo roads, have become perilous gauntlets for motorists, marked by rampant armed robberies, fatal accidents, and a glaring government failure.
This dangerous reality stands in stark contrast to the promises made five years ago, revealing a story of grand ambitions betrayed and a public left to pay the price.
In 2019, a Zimbabwean using the moniker Jack Van Beek reacted to a story about the highway's rehabilitation by asking on Facebook whether the government would actually finish what it started.
Another, Chimedzanemburungwa George, accused the government of playing with people's minds, noting that a mere 3km stretch at Beatrice had taken over a year to complete.
Tragically, five years later, their cynical predictions have come to pass.
After countless lost lives, motorists robbed, and thousands of dollars in vehicle damages on poorly maintained detours, both highways from Beitbridge to Harare and Bulawayo remain unfinished nightmares.
Motorists bear the brunt of this stagnation.
The detour between Rutenga and Ngundu, and others near the Chibi toll gate, are in terrible condition.
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This is despite the government raising millions monthly from toll gates, vehicle licensing, and penalties.
The human cost is staggering.
A cross-border truck driver, Sanangura Masere, said the detours are so dangerous they are diverting regional traffic away from Zimbabwe, costing the nation vital revenue.
“Those detours have scared many trucks from this shorter route,” he said.
“It is, however, pleasant to credit the good work on completed sections.”
The peril is not just from poor roads, but from criminal elements that thrive there.
A fortnight ago, Beitbridge police arrested eight men who preyed on motorists slowed down by the treacherous Bulawayo road detour.
In July, two serial armed robbers, Gift Maphosa and Mpokiseng Dube, were jailed for 144 years each for targeting motorists at the Rutenga detour.
Adding to the climate of lawlessness, a suspended Zimbabwe Republic Police officer from the CID Mwenezi, Farai Simudzirai, was recently arrested for murder after allegedly killing a man in a private vehicle at one of these detours.
Five years on, the unfulfilled promises have created a legacy of danger and decay.
The government's ambitious plan for the Beitbridge to Bulawayo and Harare road involved hiring five local companies Bitumen World, Fossil Contracting, Tensor Systems, Exodus, and Masimba Construction to widen the road to Sadc standards, with dualisation to follow.
The projected cost was US$600 million, and using local firms was touted as a foreign currency-saving measure.
Today, the reality on the ground tells a different story.
A manager from one of the contracted companies, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed the core issue.
“This work needs money,” he said.
“We need money for inputs and salaries and above all we need fuel...
“We also need salaries.”
