Online Reporter
Mashudu Netsianda recently in Binga
WORK on the long-awaited Binga Border Post has gathered momentum, with construction now at roof level, marking a major milestone in the Second Republic’s drive to roll out tangible development projects in the previously marginalised district.
The border post is among several high-impact initiatives underway in Binga District under President Mnangagwa’s development philosophy of “leaving no one and no place behind.”
During a visit to the district in April 2022, President Mnangagwa directed the Government to fast-track development in Binga, a directive that local officials say is now bearing fruit.
In an interview, Binga District Development Co-ordinator Mr Land Kabome said the Government was fulfilling the President’s pledge to modernise the district through the Binga Development Initiative.
“We have what we call the Binga Development Initiative, which was initiated by His Excellency President Mnangagwa, and I am pleased to say that things are beginning to move,” he said.
“Construction of the Binga Border Post, which previously operated from a temporary cabin, has commenced in earnest. We are now putting up a permanent superstructure and the building is already above window level. There is tremendous progress.”
Mr Kabome said once completed, the border post would enable residents to travel legally to neighbouring Zambia, strengthening social and cultural ties between communities on both sides of the Zambezi River.
“As Tonga people living on both sides of the border, we share strong cultural ties, including rituals such as ancestor appeasement. This development will allow communities to interact legally and more easily,” he said.
Beyond the border post, the Government has completed several key infrastructure projects in the district, including the construction of civil registry offices, Binga Polytechnic College, a nursing school and the rehabilitation of the district mortuary, which has been expanded to accommodate 12 bodies from the previous six.
Accessibility to the district has also been significantly improved through the expansion of Binga Airstrip, which can now accommodate up to six light aircraft. The airstrip upgrade forms part of a nationwide programme launched in 2021 to enhance access to remote tourism destinations.
Binga is endowed with vast tourism potential, including hot springs, wildlife, fishing, boating, crocodile farming and rich cultural heritage. The Government has moved to unlock this potential through the Integrated Development Programme and the Conceptual Development Framework for the Victoria Falls-Hwange-Binga Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
The vision is to establish a thriving tourism corridor stretching from Kazungula near Victoria Falls through Hwange, Binga, Sijalila and Kariba, with linkages to the Lake Gwayi-Shangani area, in line with Vision 2030’s goal of transforming Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income economy.
Other ongoing and completed projects in the district include the drilling of solar-powered boreholes in communities and at chiefs’ homesteads, rehabilitation of the Binga Siabuwa Road, establishment of Twasumpuka Community Radio Station, refurbishment of the Binga Craft Centre, installation of an electricity transformer at Manjolo and the provision of internet connectivity at Binga High School to support e-learning.
Recently, Vice-President Kembo Mohadi commissioned 37 newly constructed houses in Nsungwale Village under a Government programme to permanently resettle families displaced by the devastating floods of February 2020.
The floods, caused by the convergence of the Sibwambwa, Sikanda, Namapande and Manyenyengwa rivers, left 181 families homeless. In response, the Government launched the Binga Housing Recovery Project to relocate and provide safe housing for 81 of the most affected households.
With several projects now taking shape, Binga is progressively shedding its image of marginalisation, as development gains traction on the ground.
