THE MBUDZI INTERCHANGE IS A SYMBOL OF CORRUPTION AND A WARNING TO THE NATION
The Mbudzi traffic interchange in Harare has become one of the clearest signs of corruption in our country. This project is supposed to cost US$88 million, and yet when we compare it to the Mount Edgecombe Interchange in Durban, the truth becomes very painful. The Durban interchange was finished in 2018 for only US$65.936 million. It is a huge and complex structure, one of the biggest in the southern hemisphere. But here in Zimbabwe, we are told that a far smaller and very basic structure should cost even more. This alone shows how deep the corruption has gone under the ZANU PF government.
The Mount Edgecombe Interchange in South Africa is a real example of modern engineering. It has four levels, 23 piers, and a bridge that is 948 meters long. It connects many highways and cities like Verulam, Umhlanga, Durban North, and Phoenix. It is built to carry very heavy traffic every single day. It is strong, beautiful, and very well designed. But when we look at the Mbudzi interchange, we see something simple and small. It does not have the size or the complexity of Mount Edgecombe. It is nothing close to what South Africa built. Still, Zimbabweans are being told that this small structure costs US$22 million more.
This is not normal. This is extortion. It is theft. The contractors were handpicked, and many of them are linked to powerful people in government. These people survive by overpricing projects and stealing public money. There is no way this price difference is about the design or the materials. It is clear that a big part of the money is going into private pockets while the people suffer.
For many years, Zimbabwe has seen the same pattern in almost all public projects. Corruption, mismanagement, and lies. There is no openness. There is no explanation. With the Mbudzi interchange, again the taxpayer is forced to pay for corruption. This becomes a hidden tax on the poor. Our country is already struggling, but the government continues to take from the people so that a few can enjoy a luxury life.
The people who should be protecting the public funds are the same ones allowing the looting. Instead of checking the budgets and making sure everything is fair, they approve inflated contracts and allow prices to climb for no reason. The result is weak and poor infrastructure that costs far more than it should. The people pay more, and the country falls deeper into poverty.
Many Zimbabweans do not believe the US$88 million price tag. And they are right. The real cost is probably far lower. Maybe even half. But because everything is done in secrecy, no one knows the truth. If South Africa built something massive and world-class for less money, then why can’t Zimbabwe do the same? The answer is simple. Corruption. Greed. And a government that does not care about its people.
Projects like the Mbudzi interchange are not seen as investments by our leaders. They are seen as chances to steal. They do not think about the country’s future. They only think about what they can take today. This type of leadership is destroying Zimbabwe.
The Mbudzi interchange has become a symbol of everything wrong with the ZANU PF government. It shows the corruption. It shows the waste. It shows the total lack of accountability. Until we have leaders who care about the truth and about the people, Zimbabwe will stay trapped in this painful cycle.
Zimbabweans must ask important questions. Why is this project so expensive? Who is taking the money? Why is there no transparency? If we do not demand answers, nothing will ever change.
It is time for people to stand up. The Mbudzi interchange is not just a construction project. It is a warning. It shows how much corruption is costing us. And it shows why we must fight for a better Zimbabwe.
