Infrastructure

Storm Over Zimbabwe’s $114m Trabablas Interchange Costs

Critics demand audit of President Mnangagwa’s flagship road project.

Updated on

August 28, 2025

Harare’s newly inaugurated Trabablas Interchange, a multi-level highway project opened by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on May 30, 2025, has become one of Zimbabwe’s most controversial infrastructure developments.

Despite being promoted as a key step in upgrading the capital’s roads, critics say the $88 million to $114 million project is marred by allegations of corruption, cost overruns, and a lack of transparency in its awarding.

The interchange, formerly known as Mbudzi Interchange, was renamed Trabablas—a Spanish word meaning “nonsense”—after a cabinet committee opted to adopt Mnangagwa’s liberation war alias.

Political analyst Tendai Ruben Mbofana said the renaming reflects deeper concerns about governance. “Naming structures after current leaders while they are still in power smacks of personality cultism and political hero-worship… We find ourselves celebrating what is arguably a suspiciously overpriced piece of infrastructure,” he said.

Opposition figures and anti-corruption campaigners have questioned both the financial and procedural transparency of the project.

Former Finance Minister Tendai Biti called for a forensic audit and judicial commission of inquiry into the interchange’s costs, describing the reported figures as “a financial black hole.”

He noted that the project should not have cost more than $40 million.

“The Trabablas Interchange should not have cost more than $40 million. Now the Minister of Finance goes to Parliament and says it costs $114 million. A forensic audit must be carried out. A Judicial Commission of Inquiry must be conducted,” Biti said in an interview.

Construction contract

Concerns centre on the awarding of the project to Fossil (Pvt) Ltd, a company linked to Mnangagwa ally Kudakwashe Tagwirei.

Fossil not only secured the construction contract but also provided an $88 million loan to the government to fund the interchange, a move critics describe as a clear conflict of interest.

Former Finance Minister Biti questioned whether public procurement laws were followed, asking, “Was the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act complied with? On what basis was the contract awarded to Fossil’s Tagwirei consortium?”

Opposition legislator Edwin Mushoriwa added, “Parliament does not know the terms of the loan agreement between the government and Fossil… There is a lot of opaqueness in this loan.”

Budget blowout

Cost inflation has also drawn scrutiny. The South African firms Ovum Corporation and DNMZ Consulting Engineers estimated the interchange at $65 million, excluding compensation for displaced businesses, detour works, and specialist fees.

The Treasury later reported that costs had risen to between $88 million and $114 million, depending on sources.

Anti-corruption activist Tawanda Majoni noted, “The mere fact that Fossil provided the loan when it is one of the three contractors in the project shows how corrupt the project deal is, as there is clear conflict of interest and vast room to manipulate prices.”

While the Trabablas Interchange is intended to improve traffic flow and modernise Harare’s infrastructure, these developments have raised serious questions about accountability.

Biti emphasised that public funds must be spent with transparency: “The people deserve to know how their money is spent. Projects of this magnitude must not only serve national development but must also reflect integrity, fairness, and value for money.”

Meanwhile, Trabablas Interchange has become a lightning rod for debate, laying bare the clash between the government’s drive for grand infrastructure projects and mounting calls for openness and accountability.