Beitbridge border project sets tone for major developments

Africa Moyo in BEITBRIDGE

THE commissioning of the Beitbridge Border Post upgrade and modernisation project, implemented under a public-private-partnership (PPP) model, has set the tone for the implementation of more infrastructure development projects under that arrangement, Zimborders Consortium general manager Mr Nqobile Ncube has said.

The project had been criticised by detractors who claimed it was a way of milking the country of its resources.

But, its completion and immediate impact through drastically reducing the amount of time one spends while being cleared, and also improving the face of Beitbridge in particular and Zimbabwe in general, has proven the doubting Thomases wrong.

Expectedly, even the contractor Zimborders is excited that the project has been a success, especially with President Mnangagwa praising the border modernisation while commissioning it on Wednesday.

In an exclusive interview yesterday, Mr Ncube said the commissioning of the project was a culmination of many years of Government’s commitment to infrastructural development.

“This project was mooted as far back as the First Dispensation and it got into culmination during the Second Dispensation,” he said.

“It was structured in such a way that it could not and must not fail. That on its own shows how seriously the principals and the Government wanted this to take off and happen and be wrapped up.”

The deal between Government and Zimborders was named one of the well-structured investment deals of the year 2020.

It was also awarded the winning accolade of Global Trade Review Global Deal of the Year Award for Optimisation and Rehabilitation.

And Mr Ncube believes that the visit to Beitbridge by President Mnangagwa, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and a number of ministers, for the commissioning of the border modernisation project, demonstrates its significance to the country.

“To us that have been on the ground who have seen this project rise from the ground, it’s one goal achieved to say once central Government takes a stand and puts resources towards a project, it gets achieved.

“Mind you, this is not the only infrastructure project that is happening in the country, there are so many but I think this is the headline project that everyone has been focusing on, partly because it came under a different modality, being a PPP, and one of its kind.

“Everybody who was outside, particularly the sceptics, were holding their breaths and saying ‘let’s see how it’s going to unfold,” said Mr Ncube.

For Zimborders, he said, having the President commissioning the project indicates they are able to work not only with internally generated funds, but also with corporate assistance, and “achieve greater things”.

Mr Ncube said the Beitbridge border project has broken several milestones and benchmarks, which will result in many people wanting to replicate the deal and undertake other “bigger and greater things”.

He added that he was happy that President Mnangagwa hinted that the Beitbridge border modernisation would be replicated at all other border posts given the benefit of improving efficiencies.

“His particular reference to Chirundu and Forbes border posts is an indicator that the President is fully alive to the role that Zimbabwe plays as a transit hub in the SADC region.

“Also, he is aware that these ports need to be supported by an excellent road network and he spoke about the need to urgently rehabilitate the Beitbridge-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls highway. Once these processes have taken place and the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road is completed, then the whole North-South Corridor hub would have been fixed and with these upgraded ports, it would mean we have the most efficient roads and ports network in the region which should make our country very attractive.

“So the commissioning of the Beitbridge Border modernisation project was a great day to us but of course, that happiness is now gone and it’s back to work to deliver the efficiencies we promised,” said Mr Ncube.

President Mnangagwa called on border staffers that worked with the previous manual system to upgrade their skills and be able to use the digital systems now available.

Mr Ncube reiterated the call and said the new mantra now is, “You adapt or die”.

Following the massive infrastructure developments in Beitbridge that have come on the back of the border modernisation, President Mnangagwa directed Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona to immediately revamp the Beitbridge Aerodrome, which presently looks like an unkempt primary school football pitch.