Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba-Senior Reporter
TRANSPORT and Infrastructural Development Minister Advocate Felix Mhona has said the global economy is increasingly driven by efficient logistics, technological advancement and connectivity, rather than the abundance of natural resources.
He reaffirmed that a modern, efficient and integrated transport and logistics system is fundamental to Zimbabwe’s journey towards attaining an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
The Minister’s message was delivered on his behalf by the Director of Strategic Policy Planning Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr Takura Vengesa, during the Zimpapers Public Lecture held at the Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) under the theme, “Moving Zimbabwe Forward: Transport Logistics as the Backbone of an Upper-Middle-Income Economy.”
The event brought together Government officials, academia, industry leaders and students to deliberate on the strategic role of transport and logistics in national development.
Minister Mhona stressed that transport and logistics remain critical enablers of agriculture, mining, manufacturing, tourism, trade and digital transformation, making them indispensable to the successful implementation of Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).
He highlighted Government’s ongoing investments in transport infrastructure, including the rehabilitation of strategic road corridors, construction of interchanges and bridges, modernisation of border posts, airport expansion projects and the deployment of intelligent transport systems to improve road safety. He also pointed to the successful relaunch of the Air Zimbabwe Harare–London route as a significant milestone in strengthening the country’s international connectivity and restoring confidence in Zimbabwe’s aviation sector.
Minister Mhona further underscored the importance of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in accelerating infrastructure development, saying collaboration between Government and the private sector remains vital in delivering world-class transport infrastructure and unlocking economic opportunities.
He reiterated Government’s commitment under NDS2 to complete strategic infrastructure projects, modernise border posts, revitalise the rail sector and deepen regional integration.
The Zimpapers Public Lecture provided an important platform for dialogue between Government, academia and industry on leveraging transport and logistics as a catalyst for sustainable economic transformation and positioning Zimbabwe as a competitive regional logistics hub.
