NKAYI -- Umgwaqo lo, owacandwa ngesikhathi sombuso wabahuquluzi benotho abamhlophe ilizwe lingakatholi uzibuse ubikwa ungakaze ulungisiswe kutsha ngokupheleleyo.
Lumgwaqo ungamakilomitha alikhulu lengxenye-150 kilometres, kodwa abatshayeli kubathatha amahola adlula ayisithupha –six hours ukuze bafike koBulawayo.
Uphenyo lweStudio 7, lubone ihlekana labatshayeli abakade befelwe yizimota kulugwaqo, okugoqela lamabhasi athwala uzulu. Inengi labatshayeli laba liveze ukuba lokhu kuyimvama, njalo balakho ukulaluka kulumgwaqo okwensuku ezithile lapho sebethe babasengozini ngobubi besimo salumgwaqo olamatshe, umagodigodi, uthuli kanye lokunye okungalungelanga izimota.
UMnumzana Bongani Nyoni odabuka emangweni weSilobela ukhala ngokuthi indleko ezilandela ukufa kwezimota lezi ziphezulu kakhulu.
“Umgwaqo kasilawo, ngabe bayasincedisa kumbe nxa kungayenzi basiyekele sivule eyethu indlela egangeni sikwazi ukuthi siyazibonela kuvele kufanane. Ngoba khangela kunje yibreakdown yokuhamba ngingena emagodini, iwisa ama breakpads. Sifisa ukulungiselwa umgwaqo ngoba imota ungahamba ngayo inyanga iyabe sifile okunengi.”
Amazwi akhe agcizelelwe ngomunye njalo umshayeli, uMnumzana Martin Ndlovu obesuka eGuwe esiya koBulawayo, ofelwe yimota emangweni weTurk Mine.
“Umgwaqo kawusebenzi, ngamane basuse umgwaqo sivele sihambe egangeni, kuyafana. Umgwaqo kawukho la.”
UMnumzana Zamani Mlotshwa yena odabuka eMbuma, ubelaluke emavinkilini aweNkayi ezama ukulungisisa ikhombi yakhe.
“Umgwaqo kawuhambeki. Kawusomgwaqo kuhle. Into esijwayele ukuhlangano lazo ngezokufaka kwenjini ngendlela omubi ngakhona. Besifisa nje ukuthi umgwaqo uberight ulungiswe.”
UMnumzana Mehleli Sibanda yena odabuka esabelweni seTshanke, uthi lokhu kuvamile njalo kakubaphathi kuhle.
“Sisifisa ukuthi ngabe imota zethu ezisebenzela lapha lazo ziyahamba eHarare ngoba into esihlangana layo lapha inzima njengoba ubona ukuthi imota yami inje isibulele insimbi ezinengi. Mina vele umgwaqo lo kusukela kubo 2002 ngahle ngawubona sumubi, ngiqala ukuwusebenzisa angizange ngawuthola umuhle. Thina ngokubona kwethu sibona sigubekile lapha eNkayi.”
Umphandintambo obona ngesabelo lesi, uMnumzana Richard Moyo uthi izikhalo lezi uyazazi, njalo sewazisa kwabohlangothi lwe Transport and Infrastructural Development.
“Sengizamile kakhulu ukukhuluma loMinister ngalo umgwaqo abesitshela ukuthi ucontractor ukusite, angazi ukuthi okwehlula ukuthi aqede isix kilometers leziyana kuyini ngoba umgwaqo lowana kawuhambeki. Ngiyakwazi okhuluma ngakho, lami njengo minister ngizazama ukuthi sibone ukuthi ugredwe ngoba ukuthi singamelela itara, iyathatha two kusiya ku three years ukuyafika eNkayi. Sikhangelele ukuthi kufakwe itara kusiya koBadala, sekusithi uNkayi road agredwe ukuze kukwaniswe ukuhambeka.”
Imizamo yokukhulumisana loMnumzana Felix Mhona umqondisi wohlangothi lwe Transport and Infrastructural Development yehlule ngoba ebengasabeli umakhalekhukhwini wakhe.
Ngomnyaka ophelileyo, emgwaqweni munye kwabhubha owesifazana weMatema owayehelelwa lapha omongi besibhedlela seNkayi babethathe isinqumo sokumgijimisele koBulawayo ukuyabelethiswa esibhedlela esikhulu eseMpilo Central Hospital. Lumama wehlelwa yingozi yemotha ethwala izigulane iAmbulance ayehamba ngayo eyaphuma umgwayo yayakuwa wahle wafela khonapho.
Sekwedlule iminyaka edlula engamatshumi amane umgwaqo lo uzama ukulungisiswa ubuye utshiyelwe endleleni, kodwa uhulumende kunyanga ezimbili ezedluleyo ubike ukuba bazalungisa ingxenye yomgwaqo we Beitbridge-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls esigugudekile njalo bathembisa ukuba bazalungisa lowe Kwekwe kusiya eNkayi usiyathutshela eLupane ukwenzela ukuphungula umango wezihambi. Omunye njalo abathembisa ukuwulungisa ngowe Karoi oquma eBinga kusiyamba eVictoria Falls.
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