The Sunday News
Sharon Chimenya, Masvingo Correspondent
MASVINGO Province has proposed to establish a number of dry ports as it anticipates large volumes of traffic that will follow after the anticipated completion of Harare-Beitbridge Highway upgrade.
The rehabilitation of the 585km Harare-Beitbridge Highway is expected to increase the volume of traffic and business once it is completed as some regional countries that have resorted to using alternative routes such as the Kazungula revert back to the route. A dry port provides services for the handling and temporary storage of bulk cargo.
Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, Cde Ezra Chadzamira told Presidential Affairs and Monitoring Implementation of Government Programmes Minister, Dr Joram Gumbo during a tour of a section of the road on the outskirts of Masvingo last week that the province would want a dry port established at Rutenga, among others.
“Masvingo in the upcoming National Development Strategy 1 proposed the development of dry ports at Rutenga and the other within the radius of Masvingo. We expect increased volume of traffic after the completion of the entire stretch of the road which would compete favourably with alternative routes in the region.
“Our ports therefore are strategically positioned on the strength of a sound road and rail infrastructure connecting Masvingo and other Sadc regions like Maputo, Lusaka, Gaborone, and Johannesburg.”
He said the province is already enjoying the benefits of infrastructure development through job creation and revival of small to medium enterprises sector through upstream and downstream linkages. Dr Gumbo said he was happy with the Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway rehabilitation being carried out by local contractors after failed efforts by other contractors.
“I am happy that it is done by local companies not by any other company from outside, using our own resources meaning if we had started this using our resources, we could have completed this road in good time,” he said.
He said the road was constructed in the 1950s and hence it had outgrown its lifespan.
“This is a very important corridor; it serves the country in the provision of goods and trade between Zimbabwe and South Africa and the region.
“It is very important that we make sure that this road is completed in time so that business can be carried out. It is going to be quite a challenge to the Ministry of Transport (and Infrastructural Development) to make sure that they continue the same works on the Nyamapanda Road and the Harare-Chirundu to make sure the whole stretch of the road is completed on time.”
The Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway is set to be completed in Masvingo by the year 2022 with the contractors doing stretches of up to 200km per annum. At the moment, the contractors have finished the first 100km stretch with a target of reaching the 200km mark by the end of the year.
