Once a 5-hour drive, it now takes 10 to 15 hours through deep potholes, gullies and dusty bush detours. Near Lupane, women and children try to patch it with soil. Truck drivers call it the worst road they have ever seen.
In Parliament on 8 October 2026, Hwange East MP Hon. Bonda said Victoria Falls is now “marooned” – only reachable by air, which ordinary citizens cannot afford. Ambulances cannot reach patients from Binga to Bulawayo. MPs have abandoned their vehicles after the road destroyed them.
Only about 70km of the 439km has been properly resurfaced. Government promised 50km more, but that leaves over 300km broken.
The cost is huge – In Tourism: Visitors now travel via Botswana to avoid it. In April, luxury Rovos Rail tourists had to be flown to Vic Falls because the road was too dangerous.
Risk to Human life: Deadly crashes happen weekly when trucks swerve to avoid potholes.
Rights Violated: Health, movement and development are blocked.
Built in the 1960s, battered by coal trucks and years of failed repairs, the road needs full reconstruction, not patches. For Matabeleland North, a good road is not a luxury – it is a right.
Post published in: Featured