Thursday 03 July 2025
Sithembinkosi L Jiyane
Business reporter
BULAWAYO – Faced with crumbling roads and a lack of official action, unemployed youth in Bulawayo’s Cowdray Park suburb have carved out an unexpected source of income: informally repairing potholes and asking motorists for voluntary contributions.
This grassroots initiative is providing vital, though precarious, livelihoods while simultaneously improving road safety.
The sight of young men filling potholes with soil and gravel, then approaching passing drivers for small donations, has become commonplace in the area. Their work directly addresses a critical issue – potholes pose significant hazards, causing accidents, damaging vehicles, and endangering pedestrians.
“I’m currently unemployed and have been searching for a job for some time now,” explained Dumisani Moyo, one of the young entrepreneurs.
“In the meantime, whenever I notice potholes, I organize a group of young men from my community to help fill them. We then reach out to passing drivers, asking them to contribute whatever they can to support our efforts.”
The benefits extend beyond individual earnings. By smoothing the roads, these youths enhance safety for all road users and reduce potential vehicle repair costs for drivers. Their initiative fosters community engagement, with residents taking direct responsibility for local problems neglected by authorities.
Furthermore, the money earned circulates within the local economy, supporting other small businesses in an area with limited formal opportunities.
Council Mandate Ignored, Bylaws Bypassed
However, this activity underscores a significant failure. The repair and maintenance of city roads are legally the responsibility of the Bulawayo City Council (BCC). Residents and the young workers themselves report that the authorities take an inordinate amount of time to address potholes or neglect this mandate entirely. This chronic neglect has spurred young men across Bulawayo’s socio-economic divide to take matters into their own hands.
Nicholas Ngwenya, a Community Rights Resource person, acknowledged the tension:
“These people are doing something that goes against the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) by-laws, but nobody is speaking out because they see it as helpful. In Cowdray Park, it started with Stars Mathe, a former councilor for the area. She used to give those boys some money to fill potholes.”
Challenges and Environmental Concerns
The work is fraught with difficulties. Some drivers ignore the workers or refuse to pay. The labor is physically demanding, often conducted under harsh sun or biting frost, and carries risks of injury from accidents or equipment. Crucially, the income is irregular and modest – typically small change like R5, R10, or occasionally US$1 per driver – barely enough for daily sustenance.
A significant environmental concern has also emerged. To obtain soil for filling the potholes, the workers often dig new holes in nearby areas. This practice risks causing soil erosion, damaging surrounding infrastructure (like pavements or drains), disrupting natural water flow, and potentially creating new hazards.
Despite the challenges and contradictions, the informal pothole repair business in Cowdray Park has become a vital lifeline for unemployed youth. While their efforts demonstrably improve road safety and inject cash into the local economy, the associated environmental damage and the underlying issue of neglected municipal responsibility demand attention.
The initiative stands as both a testament to community resilience and a stark indictment of failed official duty.
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