adminNqobile Tshili : Bulawayo Bureau
THE Government has partnered Botswana and Mozambique in a $600 million project to roll out a 2 000km railway line cutting across the three countries to facilitate trade. Ministers representing the three governments yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding committing themselves to the Port Techobanine Heavy Haul Rail Project.=The Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Dr Joram Gumbo, Mozambique’s Minister of Transport and Communications Mr Carlos Alberto Mesquita and Botswana’s Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources Mr Onkokane Kitso Mokaila signed the agreement in Bulawayo.
Dr Gumbo said Zimbabwe stood to benefit more from the project as almost 1 500km of the railway line would be in Zimbabwe.
“Only about 100km of rail will be in Botswana and another 100km will be in Mozambique. But if you look at the stretch that is about 1 500km, that means the longest rail will be in Zimbabwe. That means a lot to our country in terms of transit payments,” he said.
Dr Gumbo said each government was expected to contribute about $200 million to the project and due to its magnitude, the Government would engage the business sector in public-private partnerships.
Online Reporter