FS Mining has invested about US$2.4 million in the rehabilitation of 22 kilometres of roads in Insiza District, Matabeleland South, cutting travel times for rural communities and improving access to markets, schools and other services, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Ryan Chigoche
The Malole-Dickson and Silalatshani-Sanale-Malole roads were officially commissioned following a rehabilitation programme carried out through a partnership involving FS Mining, Tofee Mining, the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA), Insiza Rural District Council and local communities.
The project covered 11 kilometres of the Malole-Dickson Road and another 11 kilometres along the Silalatshani-Sanale-Malole route, with regravelling and other works carried out on sections that had become difficult to use.
Heavy rains and truck traffic had contributed to the deterioration of the roads, creating transport challenges for communities in Malole, Nhlangano, Zvikombe, Mazeya and surrounding areas.
The impact was reflected in the time and cost of travelling between the communities and the main road.
FS Mining Director Precious Mabuza said journeys from the business centre to the main road that previously took about an hour and 30 minutes could now be completed in less than 30 minutes.
“Today is not simply about opening the road; it is about opening a path to opportunity,” Mabuza said.
“For us, when we see each and every community being able to travel, I can tell you that, as we speak right now, most people, when they were leaving the business centre to go to the main road, were taking about one hour and 30 minutes. Well, now they are taking less than 30 minutes to get there.”
The improved road has also made movement between neighbouring communities easier, with Mabuza noting that residents were now cycling along sections that had previously been difficult to navigate.
“As we are driving these days here, we are even seeing people cycling,” she said.
For communities that rely on the road to access goods and services, the rehabilitation has addressed problems that extended beyond travel times.
Community representative Christopher Moyo said residents had been paying about US$5 for the 22-kilometre journey, while some delivery trucks had stopped servicing local businesses because of the poor road condition.
“The road was not passable. We used to pay US$5 for a short distance like 22 kilometres. Even delivery trucks were refusing to deliver some goods to our shops, citing poor road network,” Moyo said.
“Now all that is history, thanks to FS Mining. Please, fellow villagers, let’s maintain our road.”
The road project also forms part of FS Mining’s wider community interventions, including support for Zvikombe School, which the company has adopted.
The mining company has supported school activities such as sports days and provided assistance to individual residents, including school fees for some children and a wheelchair for a 12-year-old child.
“We believe that the community where we are mining the mineral is the one that has to benefit more than anyone else. Hence, all the programmes that we do,” Mabuza said.
“We are not saying that at FS Mining we are going to be able to touch each and everyone’s life, but we’ve touched a few lives.”
The road rehabilitation was financed by FS Mining, which supplied tippers and excavators, grader blades, fuel, lubricants and labour. Tofee Mining provided additional tippers, while RIDA and Insiza RDC supplied technical support and machinery, including motorised graders.
Minister of State for Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution Albert Nguluvhe said the improved road network would strengthen connections between communities and service centres.
“Today marks a significant milestone for the communities of Malole, Nhlangano, Zvikombe, Mazeya and surrounding areas, who stand to benefit from improved connectivity, access to essential services and greater economic opportunities,” Nguluvhe said.
He added: “Road infrastructure is more than a means of transportation. It is an enabler of development and a pathway to opportunity.”
The minister pointed to the role of roads in moving agricultural produce, goods and services while connecting rural communities to schools, health facilities, markets and government services.
For Insiza RDC, the intervention came after the council and RIDA were approached by FS Mining over the deteriorating road.
“After FS Mining realised that our road was damaged, it approached RIDA and Insiza Rural District Council seeking permission to rehabilitate it. We sat down as council and saw it fit to let them do that,” the Insiza RDC chairman said.
“The road was damaged by trucks and was no longer user-friendly.”
He urged other mining companies to consider similar infrastructure investments, adding: “We would like to thank FS Mining for their support. They have left a legacy.”
RIDA also highlighted the wider significance of the route, which connects the southern and northern parts of Insiza District.
“The road connects the southern part of the district to the northern part of the district. This road was damaged due to a number of issues, such as heavy rains and trucks,” a RIDA representative said.
“It was a collaborative effort between FS Mining, RIDA and our local authority. FS Mining funded the project. There was regravelling of 22 kilometres.”
With the rehabilitation now complete, attention is shifting towards protecting the infrastructure from further deterioration.
“Roads need to be maintained, so we would like the communities and local authority to take care of it,” the RIDA representative said.
The call is particularly relevant given that heavy vehicles and weather were among the factors previously blamed for the road’s deterioration, leaving communities and the local authority with a shared responsibility for maintaining the upgraded route.
