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Thupeyo Muleya–Beitbridge Bureau
Beitbridge residents have commended the Government for constructing a new fire station in the border town that has been the missing link in terms of the local stakeholders’ response to disaster and risk management.
The new building was built as part of the US$300 million Beitbridge Border Post modernisation project and has since been handed over to the Government by the contractor, Zimborders Consortium.
It is understood that the procurement of fire engines is already underway.
The fire station, an animal plant and quarantine, sewer oxidation dam, a landfill, roads upgrade, construction of 220 staff houses, and 11,4 megalitre water reservoir, are some of the out-of-port facilities falling under border modernisation project. The Government and Zimborders are implementing the massive infrastructure development initiative on a 17-and-half-year Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) concession.
“It was very thoughtful of the Government and the Second Republic to see it necessary to construct this massive fire station,” said a local businessman Mr Remember Ndou.
“The facility is very critical considering the investment done by the Government in the upgrading of the border post and the construction of 220 staff houses for its workers and other key infrastructure.
“To us as businessmen, this also assures that our premises are safe in the event of fire and related incidences.”
Mr Ndou also said President Mnangagwa had lived true to their policy of leaving no one and no place behind by investing heavily in Beitbridge.
“The team deserves another chance to continue rebuilding our beloved country,” he added.
A resident of Limpopo View, Miss Cleopatra Ncube, said the new fire station fits well into the town’s transformation into a modern city.
She said the Government had done a good job to building the capacity of the town council to handle disasters better.
Miss Ncube said the local authority had for a long time been planning to have such a facility but had resource constraints and Government’s intervention was timely.
“This is one of the milestone projects by the Government in our town and we are grateful for this intervention. This project is a good example of how Zimbabweans can build their own country,” she added. A resident of Tshithaudze suburb, Ms Mercy Mbedzi said completion of a new fire station would put an end to Beitbridge relying on South Africa for fire management services.
She said having a fire station in the town will go a long way in addressing the perennial fire and emergence rescue services deficiencies in the border town.
Speaking during the recent handover of infrastructure projects constructed in the town by the Zimborders Consortium, Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister, Felix Mhona, said Beitbridge Border Post and the town have experienced devastating fires on many occasions in the past.
“These fires led to the destruction of property and buildings as the local authority was inadequately resourced to deal with such,” said Minister Mhona.
“It was imperative therefore, to include the construction of a fire station in the project to mitigate against future such disasters.
“This project by Zimborders is fully financed with no immediate burden placed on the Government’s fiscus. This surely is a great example of what can be achieved through successful public-private partnerships and is testimony of the good that can be achieved when the Government and the private sector work together towards the development of the nation.”
In a recent interview, Beitbridge Town Clerk Mr Loud Ramakgapola said they were excited with the spillover effects of the border modernisation project. “The border post-transformation comes in with a lot of infrastructure development initiatives some of them have been in our plans for a long time, but could not take off due to limited resources,” he said.
“Our sewer has been upgraded and we have a new fire station, the road network is being upgraded from the border post towards the major cities including Bulawayo and Harare.
“In addition, the Zimborders Consortium is also going to assist us to modernise our dumpsite in the west of the town, where we have already identified a site.”
Mr Ramakgapola said the construction of a new 11, 4 mega litre water reservoir will boost the town’s water supply capacity to supply at least 18 megalitres of water daily.
Online Reporter