I’ve had to sit down and think about the right kind of story to tell about my journey to Harare a few weeks back. As I seat right now, I am not sure this could be the right kind that you would love to read about. In case it is not the one you would have preferred, I will leave you to chose the next story about this journey you would love to consume next from some of the issues that I will refer to in my story.
When travelling to Zimbabwe, whether you are a local here or visiting, many people have under-estimated the importance of proper planning. Unlike other countries you can travel on a whim, Zimbabwe is not like any of those countries in so many ways (which might seem basic to many others). So proper travel planning will help you save time and a lot of money.
DONT DRIVE HERE!
Actually, it’s easier said than done. I am thinking Discovery Channel‘s Andre Younghusband needs to make an episode about the journey of the worst ever busiest stretch of road in Southern Africa. If you want a full on experience of the dangers of travelling a small strip of road for over
The journey I made was from Johannesburg to Harare. Using the popular N1 freeway that continues across the boarder as the A4 road. Save for the large number of toll gates in the South African side, the road network is pretty much a smooth sailing event. It has wide neatly tarred roads which makes for an easy and enjoyable ride all the way to the boarder post. It is at the South African side of the boarder post crossing where you say goodbye to all signs of sanity and start to experience the worst ever part of the journey that even the bravest will not attempt to make occasionally.
The Dullest and most dangerous route I have ever travelled.
You need a spare pair of feet, eyes and hands to go through the worst ever road trip in Africa’s Southern Africa Region. My advice to all first timers, rest for the night if you get to Musina in the night because navigating the treacherous and poorly maintained strip of road from BeitBridge to Harare is like attempting a high rope walk.
It is a very lonely and dull trip, nothing to catch your eyes during the night save for a few beer halls and poorly lit and constructed toll gates that you could easily crush into if you are not paying attention. This road is so bad that if you have a low riding car, you could easily hit a pot hole on the edge of the strip and veer off course heading straight for trees, bushes or people.
Caution is your most important friend and adhering to road signs (wherever there are available) is of utmost importance. Don’t stop unnecessarily, not because there is a high risk of being hijacked, but because you don’t want to be a victim of any kind from anyone who might see you as a possible victim.
Stop only at designated and well lit shops and towns as you are at most not going to find your Red Bull or a flashing toilet in most of the shops along the road. If you are used to giving strangers a lift, DONT! Just don’t!
THE BEITBRIDGE BOARDER
But I will for a moment express my disgust at the way the Beitbridge Boarder post signals in all its gory details the kind of country Zimbabwe is.
The stench of old human excrement, the dusty pavements and roads within the boarder post, the fake agents who will drain you of all your money if you have no knowledge of what you should do, the poor and confusing service in and out offices coupled by the high temperatures of the area makes for unforgettable horrible experience.
If you have no other option than to drive, then you will need a really good car, good driving skills and plenty of sunshine to help you navigate the small road that has become a sore for many drivers on this route. This is part of what they call the Pan African Highway Link route that is used by most major transporting trucks, buses and private cars, it becomes an issue of more demand for the road than that actually supplied or available. The Zimbabwean government has been legging behind in revamping this small strip of road for far too long and it is baffling that the most used road in the country is the worst kept.
You will find no road markings, plenty of potholes and unevenness, stray animals (largely donkeys and cows who seem to love the heat the road produces during the night and strangely immune to fast moving vehicles and even hooting), blinding lights from oncoming vehicles and dangerously lane encroaching truck drivers as they try to stay within the road and avoid spillage and thieves who can take advantage of the short supply of police. In short, the road possesses more dangers to driving than any other road in the whole Southern African region.
“The road carries between 1,000 and 5,000 vehicles per day, with the heavier flows in the proximity of Harare. It is therefore proper to rehabilitate this road. The Harare-Beitbridge road is part of the trunk road network of Zimbabwe, which is a part of the North-South Corridor – one of the major arterial links in the regional road network. The road is the most direct link between the capital cities of Harare and Pretoria, and provides landlocked Zambia access to the Indian Ocean ports of Durban and Richards Bay in South Africa.” Wikipedia
Beitbridge to Harare route (Pic Unknown)
I am all for road trips, open windows, drop tops and long winding adventures but this road takes the whole dream to its death. It is an understatement to say the road is bad, in actuality it is a death trap.
As I made the trip to Harare, i could not but wonder why I chose not to fly (apart from funds not permitting) and how ridiculous the cost of an hour and 45 minutes trip into Harare was so exorbitant at around US$320. I sat on this bumpy journey and envisioned how much of a killing I would have made by offering a very cheap alternative to this long and uncomfortable trip if only I had a couple of aeroplanes at my disposal.
I still can’t get my head around the unavailability of a very cheap flight that connect these two cities and ease the congestion on the boarder and the roads. I guess it might be a bit too complicated than it seems but it most certainly feels like our governments and businesses seem to enjoy see their own people suffer the most. With a large number of travellers, this route could be the most busiest and most profitable with the numbers that struggle to navigate it.
So after what seems like an eternity of near misses and a rough bumpy ride, we made it to Harare and the next couple of days proved much more interesting and almost as disappointing as the road trip with the shortage of cash, the high partying moods in the middle of the election debacle, the booming property market and an evolving social scene that resembles the many cities around the region that the locals here have brought back into the country.
A view from my bus window as I arrived in Harare early morning.
The once bread basket of Africa, now emptied by corrupt leaders and policies, is slowly but surely being filled up again by diverse cultures that locals here have picked up from their travels all around the globe. It is ever hype and remains very jerked up in terms of trends despite the economy having been run aground. It is the people that seem to find a way forward despite whatever it is that has been thrown at them. Makes for a more interesting and at times rewarding place to live than in a developed and purely capitalist state where changing the course of life is much harder and determined by those with the means to do so.
The Gregarian 