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Briefing the Parliamentary Committee on Budget, Finance and Investment Promotion on Friday, the assistant Immigration manager in charge of Beitbridge Border Post, Mr Charles Gwede, said the infrastructure at the country’s busiest inland port of entry was failing to cope.
The committee is on its ongoing national exercise aimed at gathering public views and getting inputs on the 2013 national budget.
Giving oral evidence before the parliamentary committee, Mr Gwede urged the Minister of Finance, Mr Tendai Biti to consider allocating more funds towards the upgrading of the border post as well as increasing the staff complement to address the issue of congestion.
“The infrastructure at Beitbridge border cannot cope with the volume of traffic that we handle every day especially during peak periods. It has taken too long for Government to address the problem and we therefore urge the Minister of Finance to look into such issues when coming up with the 2013 national budget. We also need more funding to address the issue of staff shortages,” he said.
Senator for Beitbridge Tambudzani Mohadi expressed concern over the poor state of irrigation schemes in the district and urged Government to address the challenge.
“Beitbridge is known to be a drought prone district and people here largely rely on irrigation farming, but sadly most of our schemes are in a bad state. We are urging the Minister of Finance to consider setting aside a special fund to address such challenges. We also need electricity at Tshikwalakwala, which is the furthest area on the eastern side of Beitbridge because lack of power adversely affects communication,” she said.
Sen Mohadi also suggested the setting up of a special loan facility to cater for livestock farmers in the district to enable them restock and address the issue of starvation of cattle due to drought.
“Our farmers continue to lose their livestock, especially cattle due to starvation and we are saying in the 2013 national budget, Minister Biti should come up with a loan facility to assist local farmers restock. Beitbridge is a cattle farming area and people rely on livestock as their main economic mainstay,” she said.
Sen Mohadi also urged the Government to increase money for the Beitbridge District Hospital mortuary project whose progress had stalled due to poor funding.
The mortuary has a carrying capacity of six bodies but due to the ever-increasing number of unclaimed bodies, mostly border jumpers, the facility is at times forced to accommodate up to 60 bodies.
Chief Elish Matibe also urged Government to address the issue of poor roads in the district. He cited the Beitbridge-Tshikwalakwala Road, saying it was affecting the travelling public and the distribution of goods.
Stakeholders also urged Government to set aside funding for water and sanitation programmes in the border town to avert another cholera outbreak. The disease worst hit the district in 2008, claiming dozens of lives and the outbreak was attributed to constant sewer bursts and lack of adequate clean water.
The local district social welfare officer, Ms Energy Mlambo highlighted the need for consistence in the issuing out of money for social grants for the elderly and vulnerable children.
The chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee, Mr Webber Chinyadza said the exercise was aimed at finding from the people what they wanted included in the national budget.
“We are giving people an opportunity to express their views. In fact, the public hearings are aimed at ensuring that people give Parliament information on what they really want or wish to see incorporated in the budget before the Minister presents it,” he said.
Mr Chinyadza said they would soon compile the final report based on information gathered, which would then be incorporated into the fiscal statement.
He said the final report would also be posted onto the parliamentary website for the benefit of members of the public.
Online Reporter