MBUDZI INTERCHANGE: A LOOTING PROJECT, NOT A ROAD PROJECT

The Mbudzi traffic interchange in Harare is not just a road project. It is a big sign showing how deep corruption has gone in Zimbabwe. This project is said to cost US$88 million. But if you look at South Africa’s Mount Edgecombe Interchange in Durban, which cost US$65.9 million and was finished in 2018, you will see that something is very wrong. Mount Edgecombe is bigger, better, and more advanced. Yet somehow, Mbudzi is more expensive. Why?

The Mount Edgecombe Interchange is one of the best in the whole southern hemisphere. It is a four-level bridge with 23 pillars and a bridge that is 948 meters long. It connects many places like Verulam, Umhlanga, Durban North, and Phoenix. It was built to handle heavy traffic and is built with real modern engineering. But when you look at Mbudzi, it looks nothing like that. It is simple and weak. There is no way it should cost more than Mount Edgecombe.

The truth is simple. This is corruption. The people who got the job to build Mbudzi are connected to powerful leaders. They make the prices high on purpose. The US$22 million extra is not for cement or steel. It is for people’s pockets. This is stealing. This is looting.

For many years, Zimbabweans have suffered because of corruption in big projects. Mbudzi is not the first, and sadly, it may not be the last. The government forces people to pay taxes, but that money does not build the country. It just disappears into the hands of a few greedy people. This is a hidden tax on the poor. It is killing the country.

People in government who should be checking the money are also part of the problem. They are not doing their jobs. They are working together with the thieves. Instead of stopping corruption, they are helping it grow. So we end up with poor roads, bad hospitals, and no jobs, while the big chefs drive expensive cars and send their children abroad.

The cost of the Mbudzi project makes no sense. Many people believe it does not even cost half that amount. But we will never know because there is no transparency. Everything is kept secret. Why can South Africa build something better for less money? The answer is clear — South Africa has better systems, and Zimbabwe has better thieves.

This government does not care about the people. Projects like Mbudzi are not about helping the country. They are about making money for the few at the top. And because of that, Zimbabwe is sinking deeper into poverty and hunger. Roads are breaking, schools are closing, and hospitals are collapsing, while they keep looting.

Mbudzi is now a symbol of everything that is wrong with Zimbabwe. It shows us the greed. It shows us the lies. It shows us the failure of leadership. Until there is change, until there is truth, Zimbabwe will keep going down. We cannot fix the country with thieves in charge.

Zimbabweans must open their eyes. Ask the hard questions. Why does Mbudzi cost so much? Who is eating the money? Who gave them the job? What are they hiding? If we keep quiet, they will keep stealing. And the country will die slowly.

We must not stay silent. The Mbudzi project is not just a road. It is a clear message to the people: you are on your own. But we are not powerless. We must speak. We must act. We must demand change.

It is time to say enough is enough. The Mbudzi scandal must wake us up. This is not development. This is daylight robbery.