Thupeyo Muleya-Beitbridge Bureau
BEITBRIDGE Municipality’s plans to develop a new Central Business District (CBD) have gained traction following the awarding of a tender to a contractor, in a project now being positioned as a key pillar of the country’s national border modernisation framework.
The project is part of the town’s transformation into a modern city, aiming to boost economic growth, improve service delivery and align Beitbridge, the country’s busiest border post, with the standards of a 24-hour regional trade hub.
At the moment, the CBD is located about 1km north-east of the Beitbridge border post and is constrained in terms of expansion. The servicing works are projected to create 80 new jobs for residents during construction.
In an interview yesterday, Beitbridge Town Clerk, Mr Loud Ramakgapola, said the municipality had awarded the servicing tender to Tiger Eye and that civil works were already underway, and they expect the project to be completed by end of February next year.
“This project aligns with our vision as a local authority to transform Beitbridge town, which emphasises the importance of infrastructure development and attracting investors,” he said.
Investors in the new CBD area will be expected to embrace the densification concept and construct properties from four storeys and up.
The new CBD extension, located between Engen Service Station and the Tshitaudze Business Centre along the Bulawayo Road, has 33 stands with a range of uses, among them a medical centre, three shopping complexes, a recreation centre, several shops and a good parking area.
“So far, the developer has laid water reticulation and sewer pipes, which are at 93 percent and 40 percent, respectively. Roads have been done to 75 percent, with surfacing expected soon. In the last five months, they have covered 69 percent of the scope of work,” said Mr Ramakgapola.
He said they expect to start allocating stands by the end of the year so that investors may start developing and that commercial construction on the serviced stands is targeted to begin early next year.
“The project is being supervised by NSV and Associates Consultancy and is expected to be completed by the end of February next year. Previously, the water reticulation system had been realigned to run parallel to the main road, as opposed to the previous setup where the pipes cut across the roads,” said Mr Ramakgapola.
He said efforts were being made to construct a mall behind the ZB Bank complex near the modernised border and that there will be a refreshment place for cross-border buses passing through the town.
This area, he said, will have mixed commercial use including densified accommodation. He said the town must be open for 24 hours, just like the border operating hours. They are working on a new site plan for the mall.
He said the volume of buses using the current facility was increasing and hence a strong need to match that by offering quality service delivery.
The Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Matabeleland South, Albert Nguluvhe, officially broke ground for the project in June this year.
In his address, Minister Nguluvhe stressed that infrastructure determines how efficiently communities do business and access services.
“True development should be people-centred, and every kilometre of a new road, sewer system laid, drainage constructed and water infrastructure done should be measured in lives that have been transformed and jobs created,” he said Minister Nguluvhe said the project was in line with the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), which targets an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
He said servicing the CBD extension will give the Government the foundation to set up more modern infrastructure in line with NDS2.
“The new extension is strategically located to become the future centre of business for the town. The existing old CBD is constrained in terms of expansion,” said the Minister.
“Beitbridge town is experiencing rapid growth, and this growth brings immense pressure to modernise and expand our built environment. The servicing of this layout therefore comes at the right time.
“The municipality is looking at modern infrastructure with high-rise buildings in this new CBD extension, with a target of a minimum of four floors. If realised, it would be the first cluster of multi-storey buildings in Beitbridge, dramatically altering the town’s skyline.”
He urged Beitbridge Municipality and the contractor to work in harmony to meet deadlines.
