Harare-Beitbridge highway repositions Zimbabwe as economic hub

Mkhululi Sibanda, recently in Beitbridge

THE refurbishment of the Beitbridge-Harare highway which is nearing completion is certainly a game changer, not just for Zimbabwe but for economic activity within the Southern African Development Committee (Sadc) bloc’s as Zimbabwe reclaims its status as the heartbeat of the region.

After many false starts to revamp the highway were experienced during the previous administration, the Second Republic took a pragmatic approach to the project.

President Mnangagwa’s administration set the ball rolling by cancelling out the US$1,9 billion tender that had been awarded to Geiger International of Austria, following its failure to provide proof of funding and demonstrate its capacity to construct roads.

The Government then resolved to award the tender to five local companies, Bitumen World, Fossil Contracting, Masimba Construction, Exodus and Company and Tensor Systems.

The revamp project is being done under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) and funded by the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.

Recently a pack of reporters and editors under the banner of the Zimbabwe National Editors Forum (Zinef) toured the road project in the company of officials from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development and the Zimbabwe National Road Authority (Zinara).

They were later joined by the Minister of Transport, Cde Felix Mhona in Beitbridge Town.

The tour was meant to allow the media to get first-hand information on the progress of the project whose modernisation starts off at Mbudzi Roundabout in Harare and stretch all the way to the border town of Beitbridge.

The tour turned out to be an eye-opener for the media as parts of the road attended to so far are impressive and in tune with the demands of the global trends of modernising infrastructure.

That is due to the excellent workmanship done by the companies tasked with revamping this strategic highway, which for a number of years had gained notoriety because of the number of fatal and horrific accidents recorded along it.

Therefore, besides its economic strategic value, the re-shaping of the highway brings a sigh of relief to motorists and other users as the road which had outlived its life span had turned out to be a death trap.

With the new developments, at certain sections of the highway there would be overhead bridges for the safety of pedestrians.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Engineer Theodius Chinyanga in his briefing to journalists said of the 580 kilometres that is the distance between Harare, the capital and Beitbridge Town, 340km have been refurbished and opened to the motoring public.

Such a development is significant progress that paves the way for Zimbabwe and its neighbours to reap economic benefits from this man-made artery, a corridor from the border with South Africa to inland countries such as Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Tanzania.

In good condition the highway will allow the traffic to move faster and that means goods being transported on arguably the country’s busiest highway will reach their destinations on time.

Cde Mhona observed what the highway in its good condition means to the country’s economy by saying: “The upgrading of the highway comes with huge economic activities as it positions Zimbabwe as an economic hub to the Sadc region.

That also dove-tails with our aspirations of creating an upper middle income.”

Cde Mhona said after being done with the Beitbridge-Harare highway, then attention would shift to the Harare-Chirundu Road.

Locals have also benefitted from the project as the companies working on the upgrading of the road were encouraged to employ locals.

The Member of Parliament for Beitbridge East in Matabeleland South Province, Cde Albert Nguluvhe whose constituency also covers Beitbridge Town described the condition of the road as “now super” and said locals benefitted a lot through employment.

“As people of Beitbridge we got a big share of this project as our people got jobs at the border post which is being modernised.

Our youths were also employed by the company which is upgrading the highway,” said Cde Nguluvhe.

“This is a sign that as people from this part of the country we are not being left behind in Government programmes by the administration of President Mnangagwa. It shows that we are not being marginalised.”

Infrastructure development expert and Zimbabwean academic based in the United Kingdom, Dr Innocent Batsani Ncube said the highway was of serious economic significance not only to Zimbabwe but to the entire Sadc region.

“A good transport system is an essential economic driver.

The refurbished Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu highway provides prospects for the smooth flow of goods and ramping up of economic activity,” opined Dr Ncube.

“However, although the highway is comparatively shorter by 200 kilometres, it now faces stiff competition from the recently commissioned Kazungula Bridge route by Zambia and Botswana.

This means that stakeholders that include the Vehicle Inspection Department, Zimborders, Zimra, Zinara, Zimbabwe Republic Police amongst many others should collaboratively make this highway the route of choice. If this is done, Zimbabwe can reclaim its status as a major artery of Sadc economic activity.”

The development of the highway fulfils aspirations of the Second Republic as outlined in the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), the country’s economic blue-print which underscores the need for improved road transport services which are critical in improving accessibility, facilitating both domestic, regional and international trade through smooth movement of goods and people.

“Given the strategic importance of the road network in enhancing accessibility as well as promoting domestic and regional trade as a key transport corridor, the priority is to ensure that the assets are rehabilitated and preserved.

In this regard, the NDS1 will target to increase the number of kilometres of road network converted to meet Southern Africa Transport and Communications Commission (SATCC) standards from five percent to 10 percent by 2025 and to increase the number of kilometres of road network in good condition from 14 702km to 24 500km by 2025,” reads part of the NDS1.

It is also critical to note that the implementation of reforms in the country’s road sector aligns Zimbabwe more closely with the requirements of the Sadc Protocol on Transport, Communications and Meteorology.

The economic evaluation of the road investment options is also meant to determine the optimal investment scenarios including low-cost interventions on the highly trafficked roads that yield the most savings to the economy.