City officials order brick delivering truckers to stop using Mandara roads

Suburban Reporter

Heavy trucks frequenting the Chikurubi-based brick-making company to transport bricks have been ordered to stop using Mandara roads following a meeting between the City of Harare officials and the brick firm.

City of Harare officials this week met the Chikurubi-based brick-making company following complaints from residents that the heavy trucks were damaging roads in Mandara.

The meeting took place on Monday this week where the city officials told the brick maker that roads in Mandara had a 3-tonne weight prohibition and gave brick transporters two options either to use the Chikurubi-Arcturus Road exit or for the brick company to make their own road along the Zesa Holdings servitude in the prison grounds.  Council officials also undertook to organise signage of weight restrictions to put up on roads in Mandara.

Mandara residents recently wrote to the City of Harare expressing concern over the increase in the number of heavy trucks using roads in the suburb as a by-pass to get to the brick-making company and to the property along Dudley Edwards Road being used as trucking depot further damaging the already fragile roads in the suburb.

The residents suggested that the company should construct a road from Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa Road for use by heavy trucks to and from the brick plant to avoid driving through Mandara roads.

But some residents said it might not be ideal for a road to run along the Zesa servitude and there is a need to review the suggestion as there would be problems on the Zesa servitude and the Chikurubi-Arcturus exit road.

The residents argued that those who live along the servitude have to be considered while Chikurubi Farm has to approve the construction of a road on their land while Zesa does not normally authorise building of roads on its servitudes.

Some residents took the trouble to visit the brick-making plant and found out that it was a massive project with trucks parked at the premises waiting to ferry brick orders. They had a chat with the truck drivers about the damage their vehicles were causing to the already fragile roads in Mandara.

The truck drivers argued that it was the duty of the City of Harare to repair and maintain roads since they were paying their vehicle license fees like any other vehicle owner and should be free to drive on any road in the city.

According to the residents, the truck drivers also reasoned that brick deliveries go to various places and they should be able to take the bricks anywhere they are needed. The residents said although they detested the damage to the roads, the truck drivers had a valid argument and wondered if there could be a way around the challenge.

Residents bemoaned the fact that the council appeared to be folding hands while the roads continued to fall apart and also questioned the logic of approving the establishment of a brick-making company close to a residential area.

Other residents thought that while the truck drivers were making some sense, it still remained a challenge for them to use suburban roads not designed to carry the load of such huge vehicles carrying heavy loads.

The discussion heard that the truck drivers are extremely aggressive and do not respect other road users.  According to residents, they drive at breakneck speed without due attention to the young school students crossing the streets.

Residents were informed that both the letter and petition they signed over the matter were delivered to the district officer at Highlands District Office.

There was yet another thorn for Mandara residents as open-air Apostolic Sect worship centres were mushrooming at a furious pace in the suburb. It is now common for residents to just wake up and find clay pots and some flags on open spaces adjacent to their properties begging the need for restoration of sanity in the neighbourhood.