Zimbabwe Shifts From Private Asphalt Dependence As Government Commissions New State-Backed Plant

Harare, Zimbabwe — For years, Zimbabwe has relied heavily on private contractors and external suppliers to provide asphalt for its road construction and rehabilitation programmes, a model that often resulted in high costs, supply delays and uneven project implementation.

On Tuesday, the government signalled a strategic shift in that approach with the commissioning of the Skyline Asphalt Processing Plant, a move officials say will strengthen state capacity to produce asphalt locally and accelerate…