National Assembly Speaker Jacob Mudenda has called on the Transport and Infrastructural Development ministry to erect more tollgates in Matabeleland North to raise revenue for the government amid outrage that the move will burden citizens.
The call was made during a plenary session at a pre-budget seminar in Bulawayo last week.
Mudenda hailed Transport and Infrastructural Development minister Felix Mhona, describing him as a humble man who listens and consults, adding that his ministry was doing a splendid job.
“. . . through funds from Zimbabwe National Road Administration, while we sort out National Railways of Zimbabwe, can you immediately make sure that we have got weighbridges, especially at strategic tollgates, either on exit or entry, or somewhere in the middle, you do not have to put them everywhere,” Mudenda said.
“Relatedly, the road to Hwange has three tollgates. Can you increase them to five, and then Cross Dete to Binga, can you have two tollgates there.
“It's a shorter route. I am being mathematical. From Cross Dete to Binga it is 120km, so it means you have two tollgates between Cross Dete off Victoria Falls to Binga Centre. That will help us to do the fundraising accordingly.”
Mudenda said the minister should increase toll fees for trucks.
However, this sparked outrage from sections of the community in Matabeleland, with Nkayi Community Parliament deputy speaker Nkosilathi Ncube saying Mudenda was not speaking for the community.
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“He is speaking for his bread. Why is he not giving an example about other places besides Matabeleland? He is supposed to stand for the Tonga people of Matabeleland but he is busy eating in Harare,” he said.
Ncube said vehicle licences in Zimbabwe were high compared to South Africa.
Zapu Bulawayo secretary Vivian Siziba said the burden created by an increase in tollgates would be passed on to consumers.
“That burden is going to be passed on to consumers in general and, in particular, passengers. They cannot incentivise usage of rail transport by imposing exorbitant toll fees. After all, the rail infrastructure is highly-dilapidated due to neglect for decades, making rail transport non-existent,” he said.
“Naturally, rail transport is the most preferred mode of transport by business, but due to its unavailability, usage of road transport is unavoidable.”
