Railways now Zimbabwe’s biggest headache in its infrastructure development plan

I am concerned that our side at Chirundu lacks support services, including modern amenities like health centres, supermarkets, wholesale facilities and warehouses. We have to find ways of attracting investors to Chirundu so that the modernisation of its border is complemented by ancillary investments.

We have similar plans for Machipanda Border Post in Mashonaland East, which requires commensurate upgrading. The volume of traffic and trade accounted for by that border post continues to grow steadily, underlining its importance.

I am happy plans for our own border post at Kazungula are almost complete. This border post will work alongside those for sister Republics of Botswana and Zambia so jointly, we operationalise the One-Stop-Border-Post concept where all our systems are harmonised for seamless procedures. Zimbabwe is now part of the iconic Kazungula Bridge following positive interventions by the Second Republic.

Infrastructures for our air transport links continue to be modernised. The Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport Terminal is about 80 percent complete. It is set to provide modern facilities which will attract many airlines.

Alongside the lengthening of runaway, and the modernisation of facilities at Victoria Falls, our air links and, with it tourism, are set to get a major boost.

I have already directed that works to rehabilitate airport facilities at Binga, Hwange and Buffalo Range should commence, with work already started at Buffalo Range in Chiredzi.

Our biggest headache remains our weak railway service.

Vital and cheaper, this service must begin to receive our attention so the national multimodal transport masterplan is complete, and reduces the cost of doing business. I am particularly worried that this vital transport mode lags behind at a time when the demand for its services are rising, what with the phenomenal expansion we are witnessing in the mining sector. Serious decisions will have to be made to revamp that transport sub-sector, including finding innovative ways to finance its rehabilitation and expansion.

Let me warn that modernisation of Beitbridge Border Post infrastructure does not automatically translate to better services. Improved infrastructure only enables efficiencies; what makes for real efficiencies are human beings who make modern infrastructure deliver to satisfactory standards.

The work ethic at our ports must improve to justify the huge investments already made. We have digitalised Beitbridge to minimise failures; we have also installed expensive scanners. What we now need are better and effective standard operations procedures which make for interface efficiencies for the provision of a seamless service. Port efficiencies facilitate international trade while improving the ease of doing business.

I was intrigued to hear that since modernisation and automation, revenues at Beitbridge Border Post have grown threefold. Yet the volume of traffic going through the same border has largely remained the same. This suggests lots of leakages and corrupt malpractices that went on before this new phase.

The Second Republic has no room for lapses in integrity, all of which stands condemned and punishable. A modern port must beget clean behaviours on the part of everyone. That way we make our country develop faster and more reputable.

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