Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge Bureau
A TEAM from the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) visited the completed US$300 million Beitbridge Border Post project yesterday as part of their ongoing assessment of governance and development issues in Zimbabwe.
The delegation explored multiple sites, including the town council, the border post itself, and the Xintai Palm River Special Economic Zone project, which is expected to create a US$3.6 billion economy in Beitbridge over the next 12 years.
Leading the delegation, Ambassador Aly El Hefny expressed satisfaction with the development done at SADC’s busiest inland port of entry.
Improved efficiencies have increased the volume of commercial trucks passing through the border from approximately 547 a day in the last two years to 1 000 daily this year.
The APRM’s evaluation seeks to review governance practices, identify best practices, and support member states in achieving good governance, sustainable development, and inclusive growth.
In his remarks, Ambassador El Hefny said: “We appreciate what we have seen on the ground and getting first-hand information from professionals in the immigration and customs sectors.
“It is pleasing to note the developments that have been scored here in the last few years and the impact it has created on the operations here.
“We wouldn’t have done justice had we not visited this transformed border post. We have had more insights about this project and Matabeleland South province.”
Since the mission’s inception, the APRM delegation has conducted robust consultations in Harare, where they engaged with senior Government officials, development partners, civil society, academia, the private sector, and media representatives.
Ambassador El Hefny stressed that the engagement is part of the APRM’s broader commitment to ensuring that the review process is not confined to the capital, but extends across all provinces of the country.
“This inclusive approach is in line with His Excellency President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa’s philosophy of ‘leaving no one and no place behind.’
“It reflects our shared vision of governance that is participatory, people-centred, and development-oriented,” he added.
Ambassador El Hefny said sustainable governance reforms and effective economic management cannot be achieved without the active participation and ownership of the people at all levels of society.
In a presentation, Acting Head of Immigration for the Southern region, which covers Beitbridge, Masvingo, Chiredzi, and Sango border posts, Mr Moses Mutepfe spoke about the efficiencies gained from the transformation and automation of services.
“The separation of traffic into freight, buses, light vehicles, and pedestrians has helped them to offer customised services and minimise delays in the clearance of travellers.
“On a normal day, we clear around 10,000 people at three terminals, and the number peaks to nearly 18,000 during major public holidays,” he said.
Mr Mutepfe noted the introduction of electronic gates (e-Gates) and the online passenger clearance systems to eliminate manual processes, which often caused delays.
Regional manager for the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) in Beitbridge, Mrs Josphine Uta, also spoke about the automation of services, which has improved service delivery at the border.
“We now have drone surveillance systems, cargo and baggage scanners, and automated systems to drive efficiencies at this multi-million-dollar facility, and we work as a team with other border agencies in troubleshooting challenges,” said Mrs Uta.
Zimborders Consortium general manager Mr Nqobile Ncube reported an increase in commercial cargo passing through the border post due to the newly implemented efficient systems.
“We have reached our optimal levels and hope to increase as more efficient systems kick in. At the moment, we are processing 1,000 cargo trucks daily, an increase from around 547 post-construction in 2021,” he said.
