Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
BEITBRIDGE Municipality has awarded a tender to a contractor, paving the way for the construction of a new central business district (CBD), a major milestone in the town’s transformation into a modern city.
The new CBD will be developed between the Engen Service Station and Mashavhire Business Centre in Tshitaudze suburb, about a kilometre northeast of the Beitbridge Border Post.
Town Clerk, Mr Loud Ramakgapola, said during a full council meeting yesterday that the local authority had awarded the tender to Tiger Eye, which will fund and service the new area under a private-public development model.
“The contractor will finance the servicing of the new CBD area and recover costs through charging clients intending to invest there,” said Mr Ramakgapola.
He said work is expected to begin between December and January next year and should take about six months to complete.
“This project aligns with our vision to transform Beitbridge into a modern city, anchored on infrastructure development and investor confidence. It will open up economic opportunities for residents and investors while enhancing the town’s commercial landscape,” said Mr Ramakgapola
He said investors in the new CBD will be encouraged to embrace the densification concept, constructing buildings of at least four storeys and above to optimise space and modernise the skyline.
Mr Ramakgapola said the project is also expected to create jobs and improve access to modern business facilities.
“This is a very important project for us as a local authority, and we want to ensure it takes off as soon as possible,” he said.
The town clerk said the municipality also intends to hire an engineering consultancy to conduct a feasibility study in the Dulivhadzimu rank area, which is prone to flooding, as part of a broader urban renewal plan.
Meanwhile, Mr Ramakgapola said work on the modern Dulivhadzimu long-distance bus terminus would be accelerated following recent delays caused by machinery breakdowns.
“The volume of buses using the current rank is increasing. As of August, we handled a total of 11 600 buses. It is therefore critical that we complete the new facility to improve service delivery and make the terminus more attractive,” he said.
Mr Ramakgapola said the council is also exploring strategies to boost revenue collection, which currently stands at 21 percent of target, a figure he said is negatively affecting service delivery.
“We continue to engage our debtors because without improved revenue inflows, implementing key projects becomes difficult,” he said.
Mr Ramakgapola said, despite funding constraints, the municipality remains committed to delivering modern infrastructure and ensuring that Beitbridge’s transformation into a fully-fledged city stays on course.
