We Need More Tollgates On Other Roads: Zimbabwe Parliament

Zimbabwe Parliament Pushes For More Tollgates

Zimbabwe’s parliament is officially pushing for a major expansion of the country’s tollgate network. A key parliamentary committee has declared its full support for adding more toll collection points, arguing they are a vital source of government revenue.

This parliamentary endorsement comes weeks after the Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Mudenda, made a public and direct call for more tollgates and higher fees for trucks.

According to ZiFM Stereo News, the Transport Committee chair stated that tollgates contribute “immensely” to the national treasury. The push is now gaining formal traction within the legislature, setting the stage for potential new costs for motorists and businesses across the nation.

Parliamentary Committee Backs Expansion Plan

The call for more tollgates is being framed as a financial necessity. Knowledge Kaitano, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development, addressed the issue during a debate on the Finance Bill. He argued that the current system is being undermined by drivers who find alternative routes to avoid paying.

Kaitano laid out the committee’s position clearly, stating the economic rationale behind the plan.

“There is a need to ensure that toll fees serve the purpose of maintenance of trunk roads. Of note is that tollgates contribute immensely to the fiscus of the nation and the plan to have more tollgates is a noble gesture and the Committee is in support of the initiative,” he said.

The committee has already identified specific roads it believes should host new tollgates. These are routes currently being used by motorists and haulage trucks to bypass existing payment points. Kaitano named several key corridors.

“There is also a need to identify other possible roads to have tollgates, for example, the Bulawayo- Victoria Falls Road, Harare- Domboshava-Bindura Road, which is now being used by motorists as a way to bypass the tollgate along the Harare-Bindura Road, Ngundu-Tanganda Road, and the Kamativi-Binga Road used by haulage trucks from Hwange, only to mention a few.”

“Charge Them More”: Speaker’s Earlier Directives

The committee’s recent support follows a bold and specific proposal made by Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda in November 2025. At a pre-budget seminar in Bulawayo, Mudenda directly addressed the Transport Minister with a detailed plan for more tollgates and higher charges. He described his approach as “very mathematical.”

Mudenda focused on increasing the tollgates on the road to Hwange from three to five. He also proposed adding two tollgates on the Cross Dete to Binga road, a distance of about 120 kilometres. His instructions to the minister regarding large commercial trucks were particularly blunt and repeated.

“Now these big trucks while you’re sorting out NRZ can you upscale the tariffs at targets for this big trucks charge them more, charge them more,” Mudenda said during the seminar.

The Speaker also emphasised the need for infrastructure to support this revenue drive, calling for the installation of weighbridges at strategic tollgates using funds from the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA).

With the parliamentary committee now formally aligned with the Speaker’s vision, the government’s push for an expanded tollgate system appears to be moving forward, despite growing public discontent.