THE Bulawayo City Council has postponed the rehabilitation of Masiyephambili Road to next year claiming that the $11 million allocated by the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) was inadequate. BY SILAS NKALA Latest council minutes showed that the amount was allocated to rehabilitate Masiyephambili road from Emakhandeni flyover to Luveve. The money has been affected by inflation, the council said. “Rehabilitation of Masiyephambili Road has been suspended and carried forward to 2021. The available budget of $11m is no longer adequate to carry out the works. “The Zinara funds were utilised to premix overlays and surfacing of Birkenhead and Manchester roads planned for this calendar year,” read the minutes. “Zimbabwe dollars were no longer adequate to carry out the work. It was planned that the reconstruction works that were suspended last year would be funded by intergovernmental fiscal transfers this calendar year.” Indications were that a total of $20 700 000 was expected to be disbursed for completing the Masiyephambili Road reconstruction which was carried out to only gravel level. Council said there were several other roadworks that also needed to be completed. “The contract awarded to Bitumen World for the surfacing of several sections did not commence, as such the said sections now require re-formation before the surfacing can be applied. “The roads in question are Maduna between Intemba Road and Ngwenya shops, Murchison between Scone and Adair, Luveve roads, and Nkulumane roads. “The earthworks had been previously done in-house by council teams but they were already showing signs of base failure due to delayed surfacing. “Council’s in-house teams would rework base one of the roads and surfacing would be contracted out. “Soil survey works were carried out on Wingrove and Walsall roads in the vicinity of Renkini country bus terminus.” The council said the 2020 Zinara allocation was $16,4 million for road maintenance activities and Zinara disbursed the balance of $10 376 002 during the first week of October for routine maintenance. “The funds would be utilised as follows: $2 million to cover outstanding payments for the hire of the batching plant, $5 million to be used in the procurement of pothole patching premix overlaying and surfacing materials; and $3 million to cover batching fees,” the minutes read. The city fathers said the focus was on reconstruction of Wingrove, Woodstock and Walsall roads in the vicinity of Renkini country bus terminus. “The total allocation for the current year compared unfavourably with funding considered adequate to maintain the city’s road network. “As a result, the department requested additional funding,” the minutes read.