THE TRABALAS INTERCHANGE IS A SYMBOL OF CORRUPTION AND FEAR

Today Emmerson Mnangagwa is opening the new traffic interchange in Harare. It is called the Trabalas Interchange. Some people even call it the Trababas Interchange. Many people are saying this is just another waste of money. The government says it cost US$88 million, but when people look at the road, they do not understand why it cost so much. The quality is very bad. Even before it is opened, you can already see cracks, uneven parts and poor finishing. It looks like something that cost far less. Many people believe this is not development. They believe this is theft.

People are also comparing this road to one in South Africa. In Durban, there is a road called the Mount Edgecombe Interchange. It cost only US$65.9 million, but it is bigger and better than this one in Zimbabwe. So how can our road cost more and still look worse? This question is on many people’s minds. Zimbabweans are tired of being lied to. They are tired of seeing leaders pretend to build things while money goes into the pockets of a few people.

Many Zimbabweans believe the government used this project to steal money. There was no open process to choose the builders. The company that built the road is called Fossil Contracting. It is owned by Obey Chimuka, who is a known friend of Kudakwashe Tagwirei. Both men are close to people in ZANU PF. This makes people believe the road project was just a way to pay friends of the government. There are no clear reports showing how the money was used. Everything is secret. It is always the same people getting rich while the country suffers.

But this is not the only problem Zimbabwe faces today. The government is also attacking freedom through a bad law called the Private Voluntary Organisations Act. This law is supposed to manage how charities and NGOs work. But now the government is using it to punish people who help others. The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights took this law to court because they say it is dangerous. They say it is hurting human rights work and stopping people from helping the poor.

The lawyers told the court that the law takes away many freedoms. It blocks the freedom to speak, to meet, to form groups and even to own property. It gives too much power to one minister, who can stop any organisation without a clear reason. The law also gives the Registrar of NGOs the power to approve or cancel organisations with no checks. This is not fair. It breaks the rules of justice.

The court is being asked to remove many parts of this law, including sections 4, 5, 6, 9, 13A, 14 and 21. These parts go against the Constitution. If the law continues, Zimbabwe will lose many millions of dollars in aid every year. NGOs help poor people. They feed families, support hospitals and help victims of violence. If they are stopped, the people who suffer the most are the weakest.

So today we see two big problems in our country. A fake road project used to steal money. And a bad law used to silence good people. Both problems show how ZANU PF is destroying Zimbabwe. They take money from the poor. They take freedom from the people. They take hope from the nation.

We must not be silent. We must speak out. Zimbabwe needs real change. Zimbabwe needs leaders who care. Not thieves. Not cowards. Not people who build bad roads and pass cruel laws. This is why we fight. This is why we write. Because Zimbabwe deserves better.