BY SAMUEL NJINGA IN MASVINGO.
28 January 2025
For the past two weeks, the once serene roads of Masvingo, a city situated in the heart of Zimbabwe, have been marred by long hours of gridlock as motorists scramble to navigate the bustling streets. The cause? The closure of the Chimusana Bridge, a vital alternative route that connects Masvingo to surrounding areas. The heavy rains that battered the region have left the bridge with a wild load, forcing thousands of commuters to remain glued on the city’s one and only road leading in and out of Masvingo town from Beitbridge, thereby exacerbating traffic congestion at peak hours.
The Chimusana Bridge, once a busy yet reliable dust road passage, was critical for easing the flow of vehicles into and out of the city. But following the recent downpours, it became flooded hence obliging motorists to use the Masvingo-Beitbridge highway bridge. Apparently both bridges` structural integrity has been compromised following the heavy downpours. With no immediate solution on the horizon, the problem has become a daily struggle for both locals and travelers.
“I’ve never experienced traffic like this before,” says Kudzai Tsingo, a Masvingo resident who commutes daily to the city center for work. “It used to take me less than 15 minutes to get to work, but now I’m spending over an hour, sometimes two, just trying to get through the bottleneck. It’s so frustrating.”
Her frustration is shared by many others. Commuters traveling from nearby suburbs of Mucheke, as well as those passing through on their way to other destinations in and out of the country, have found themselves stuck in long queues for hours. The city’s main roads, including the already-busy roads in the city centre, have become overcrowded, with motorists unable to find relief from the congestion.
Police officers have been stationed at key intersections to manage the flow, but the sheer volume of vehicles has made their task nearly impossible. What used to be a quick, smooth ride has turned into an exhausting ordeal.
“This congestion is further compounded by the fact that there are some very few robots in Masvingo,” says Stephen Chibhare, a local motorist.
Police in Masvingo are putting measures in a bid to reduce traffic congestion in the ancient city.”We are all aware that the numbers have skyrocketed. The Chimusana Bridge which used to be an alternative is not functioning due to continuous flooding. We therefore appeal to members of the public and motorists to tolerate each other and give each other chances as well as to respect police directive so as to reduce the congestion,” said Masvingo police spokesperson, Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa. Dhewa also mentioned that they were engaging stakeholders to make sure that the authorities speed up repairs on the bridge or make alternative arrangements for commuters. Today`s survey by this reporter revealed that some of the potholes that were obliging motorists to navigate with a tortoise speed across the dilapidated bridge had been repaired by the afternoon.
As the situation drags on, businesses in the city are also feeling the impact. Shop owners report a decline in foot traffic as potential customers are deterred by the delays and the general chaos on the roads. Others have expressed concerns about the environmental toll, at a time when the global community is battling against climate change as idling cars emit more pollutants in the densely populated city.
In the meantime, local government officials are calling for patience, assuring residents that efforts are underway to repair the Chimusana Bridge as quickly as possible. However, with the rainy season expected to continue for several more weeks, the damage to infrastructure and the strain on the city’s traffic systems may not ease anytime soon.
For now, Masvingo’s commuters and motorists are left to contend with the daily grind of congestion, hoping that relief comes soon. “We’re just trying to hold out until this is sorted,” says David Jina, a truck driver caught in the endless loop of traffic. “It’s not easy, but we all just have to hang in there.”