For
many,
the
move
appears
less
like
citizen
empowerment
and
more
like
an
abdication
of
state
responsibility,
shifting
the
burden
of
monitoring
and
accountability
onto
the
public
after
years
of
institutional
neglect
that
have
left
Zimbabwe’s
road
network
in
disrepair.
On
January
19,
2026, the
ministry
rolled
out
hotlines
in
all
ten
provinces,
urging
citizens
to
report
potholes
and
urgent
defects
by
sending
clear
photos
or
videos
and
sharing
exact
locations
to
enable
swift
action.
“The
ministry
calls
on
the
public
to
become
active
partners
in
road
maintenance
by
reporting
potholes
and
urgent
defects.
Your
vigilance
is
invaluable.
Prompt
reports
enable
faster
response,
efficient
resource
allocation
and
prevent
minor
issues
from
becoming
hazards,”
the
ministry
said.
It
added
that
the
initiative
aligns
with
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa’s
development
mantra
of
“leaving
no
one
and
no
place
behind.”
The
appeal
comes
as
urban
roads,
highways
and
rural
routes
across
the
country
are
riddled
with
craters
that
damage
vehicles,
slow
business
and
in
some
cases,
claim
lives.
While
the
approach
is
framed
as
collaborative,
public
reaction
on
social
media
platforms
and
in
offline
discussions
has
been
mixed,
with
many
questioning
whether
the
policy
shifts
responsibility
to
citizens
without
addressing
the
systemic
failures
that
caused
the
potholes
in
the
first
place.
“Kushaya
zvekuita
uku.
Ko
Byo–Vic
Falls
Road
ine
mapotholes
here
kana
kuti
hapachisina
road? How
do
we
report
it
since
they
want
to
concentrate
on
potholes?”
one
resident
commented
in
a
WhatsApp
group.
Another
added:
“Haaa,
is
there
any
need
to
report
potholes
paroad
yagara
yakatofa
hayo,
e.g.
Tsholotsho–Nyamandlovu
Road?
Hakuchina
road.”
Others
were
cautiously
optimistic.
“Will
test
it
out
tomorrow
morning,”
one
resident
said,
while
another
commented:
“Now
that
the
central
government
realises
the
involvement
of
ordinary
citizens
is
vital,
I
hope
our
cities
will
do
likewise.
We
are
tired
of
numerous
excuses.”
In
an
interview
with
CITE,
Emthunzini
resident
Emmanuel
Sibanda
said
the
deteriorating
road
network
reflects
long-standing
neglect
rather
than
seasonal
challenges.
“The
roads
are
terrible,
especially
urban
roads
and
highways
carrying
heavy
traffic
and
overloaded
trucks.
Yes,
it’s
raining
now
and
drainage
is
poor,
but
potholes
have
always
been
there,
even
during
dry
months,”
he
said.
Although
the
ministry
published
a
list
of
provincial
road
engineers
and
their
contact
details,
several
motorists
argued
that
reporting
has
never
been
the
main
obstacle.
“How
many
times
have
we
reported?
People
post
on
social
media,
tell
councillors,
even
comment
directly
to
officials
online,
but
the
potholes
remain,”
said
Patrick
Ndlovu.
“We
always
hear
there
is
no
money
or
no
resources.
Now
how
will
these
hotlines
change
anything?
Has
the
ministry
found
donor
funding?”
he
asked.
Scepticism
has
also
been
fuelled
by
past
incidents,
including
last
year
when
the ministry
dismissed
as
fake
a
viral
image
of
three
people believed
to
be
tourists
sitting
inside
a
massive
pothole
along
the
Bulawayo–Victoria
Falls
highway.
The
highway,
a
key
tourism
and
freight
corridor,
had
suffered
years
of
neglect
before
the
image
forced
authorities
into
damage-control
mode.
Soon
after,
the
government
intensified
rehabilitation
efforts,
with eight
contractors
reportedly
working
to
repair
the
road,
racing
against
time
and
the
rainy
season.
Political
analyst
Future
Msebele
said
public
trust
will
depend
on
results,
not
announcements.
“If
they
are
sincere
that
they
will
act
quickly,
we
shall
see,
because
sincerity
is
measured
by
outcomes,
not
statements,”
he
said.
“My
view
comes
against
the
backdrop
of
past
pledges,
including
toll
revenues
and
rehabilitation
programmes
whose
impact
has
yet
to
be
fully
realised.
People
therefore
have
a
right
to
question
transparency
and
accountability.”
Msebele
said
citizen
reporting
can
only
work
if
backed
by
guaranteed
funding,
clear
service
standards
and
public
feedback
mechanisms.
“Without
published
repair
schedules,
response
times
and
budgets,
the
initiative
risks
becoming
symbolic
rather
than
operational,”
he
said.
Another
analyst,
Iphithule
Mpahosa,
said
the
crisis
reflects
deeper
governance
failures.
“Many
of
the
most
potholed
roads
are
urban
and
fall
under
local
authorities
whose
finances
are
strained
and
whose
mandates
often
overlap
with
central
government,”
he
said.
“The
statement
directs
reports
to
provincial
engineers
for
regional,
primary,
secondary
and
tertiary
roads,
but
it
does
not
clarify
coordination
with
councils.
The
public
needs
to
know
who
fixes
what,
and
by
when.”
Motorists
interviewed
said
the
hotline
could
be
useful
if
paired
with
routine
preventative
maintenance
rather
than
reactive
patching.
“We
will
send
pictures
and
make
calls,
but
we
know
those
images
may
just
sit
somewhere
or
whoever
is
controlling
the
numbers
labels
you
as
a
troublemaker,”
said
Mthombeni,
a
Honda
Fit
driver.
“At
the
end
of
the
day,
we
just
want
roads
that
don’t
destroy
our
cars.”