According to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe is poised to become a model land-linked country and a regional transport hub. In his weekly column in The Sunday Mail, Mnangagwa said his government has been investing in modernizing its ports and roads to facilitate trade and movement of people across the continent.
Mnangagwa cited the recent upgrade of the Beitbridge Border Post, the busiest road border post in Southern Africa, as an example of Zimbabwe’s infrastructural development. The border post, which connects Zimbabwe and South Africa, now has three terminals for freight, buses, private cars/pedestrians, and automated links to other countries in the region.
Mnangagwa said he was glad to share Zimbabwe’s experiences with his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, who visited the border post on Thursday. The two leaders launched the Border Management Authority (BMA), a new entity that aims to improve security and efficiency at the border. They also discussed the possibilities of building another bridge across the Limpopo River, extending the existing runway at Beitbridge, and constructing a new port north of Beira in Mozambique.
Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe was also working on a new masterplan for developing drylands in Masvingo province, using the waters of Lake Mutirikwi and Manjirenji Dam. He said plans were underway to build a vast water body, Tende-Runde, through private capital to benefit Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Mnangagwa said his vision was to make Zimbabwe “the model of a land-linked country and a sub-regional transport hub” by 2030. He said this would enhance Zimbabwe’s trade and investment ties with its neighbors and beyond.
Zimbabwe’s transport sector has been facing challenges such as poor road conditions, congestion, corruption, smuggling at the border posts, and lack of funding for maintenance and expansion. However, Mnangagwa said his government was committed to addressing these issues and creating a conducive economic growth and development environment.
He said he was confident that Zimbabwe’s transport infrastructure would soon match the standards of other countries in the region and contribute to the integration and prosperity of Africa.
Source: The Herald
