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The Herald, 7 May, 1981
A PARTY of major Zimbabwean importers and exporters were taken on a guided tour of the Mozambican port of Beira yesterday.
The 56-strong group was flown to Beira at the invitation of the Dutch company, Elephant Shipping Lines, to inspect the city’s future potential as a major trade port.
A tour of Beira’s railway complex was included in the port inspection. The trip was coordinated by the Mozambican Department of Ports and Railways and the group was accompanied by Mr Abdullah Ismael, the commercial director of Mozambique Ports and Railways.
The port facilities at Beira are being extended and improved and the importers and exporters were told of the expansion details.
The group, which represents the major shippers from Zimbabwe, included many of the country’s tobacco exporters, tea shippers, cargo and freight handlers, shipping agencies and several leading companies and organisations.
Elephant Shipping Lines, established last year, has been involved in food shipments to Zimbabwe and now operates through the ports of Beira, Maputo, Nacala and Europe.
The Zimbabwean visitors have shown keen interest in examining Beira’s transport, packaging and handling capacities.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
- The port of Beira is the second largest port in Mozambique after Maputo located in the capital of the neighbouring country.
- The port of Beira is located in Sofala Province and specifically in Sofala bay, which forms a huge complex with the mouth of the Pungwe River, also known as the Beira estuary, facing the Mozambique Channel.
- The port of Beira offers the country’s closest gateway to the sea since it is only 297,2km from the eastern border town of Mutare.
- The close proximity of the port of Beira and its strategic proximity to Zimbabwe necessitated the development of the Beira transportation corridor.
Online Reporter