The restructuring at the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) has proven to be a game-changer, as the institution's Board Chairperson and Chief Executive scooped the top prize in the revenue collector's category at the 2025 Performance-Based Contracts Awards and Signing Ceremony.
These awards were conferred by President Mnangagwa at the State House on Monday and the two leaders emerged as the overall best performing Board Chairman and CEO respectively.
This recognition comes as ZINARA has been hailed for having undergone dramatic transformation over the past five years, comprising of restructuring and various reforms, and culminating in the major strides recorded in 2024.
In 2024, ZINARA recorded remarkable milestones, transforming into a transparent and financially stable state entity that has made significant contributions to national infrastructure development projects.
This is against a history marred with controversies of governance deficiencies and mismanagement.
In its latest report, ZINARA outlined key achievements in financial management, governance, operational efficiency, and road infrastructure funding, marking a new era of accountability and progress for the organisation.
ZINARA's operational efficiency has seen a dramatic turnaround, with the organisation collecting ZWG$6,6 billion (US$346,3 million) in 2024 against a prior year performance of ZWG3,3 billion and a target of ZWG5,6 billion for the year.
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Key performance indicators for the year include ZWG$2,375 billion from licensing fees, ZWG$2,8 billion from tolling fees (exceeding the budget of ZWG$2.4 billion), ZWG$727 million from fuel levies, and ZWG$552 million from transit fees.
In a historic achievement, ZINARA received a clean audit for its 2023 financial statements, the first since its incorporation.
The organisation also resolved 67 percent of the issues raised in the Auditor General's 2023 Report to Management, the highest compliance rate in the public sector for the year.
ZINARA has also made significant progress in managing its loan obligations.
The balance of its Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) loan was reduced from US$165 million in December 2020 to US$42 million by December 2024.
The organisation successfully negotiated a lower interest rate, dropping from 8.16 percent in 2020 to 5 percent currently, easing the financial burden and freeing up funds for critical projects.
