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Michael Tome Property Reporter
The Mbire Rural District Council has intensified efforts to develop and modernise the Kanyemba border area in line with its vision of a town status by 2023. A total of 3 000 hectares spanning 15 kilometres along the shores of Zambezi River have been set aside for a range of properties. Civil works including construction of a bituminous road that links Zimbabwe and Zambia have already begun, marking the beginning of a journey towards town status.
Kanyemba is a border village situated on the banks of the Zambezi River in the extreme north-eastern parts of Zimbabwe, forming a boundary corner with Zambia and Mozambique. The upper reaches of Lake Cabora Bassa, the Zambezi’s second-biggest hydro-electricity generation facility, lie just a few kilometers downstream from Kanyemba Rest Camp. According to District Chief Executive officer Claudius Majaya, the 3000 hectares have been earmarked for residential, commercial stands and recreational facilities. Part of the land is meant for construction of properties such as warehouses, banks and hospitals.
“Mbire Rural District Council has packaged the 3 000 hectare land along Zambezi river into 2-5 hectare spaces for residential, commercial stands and recreational facilities. The land available is also meant for services like banks, hospitals and warehouses as we are anticipating rapid growth in the border area.
“Our intention as MRDC is to modernize the border area as it links Zimbabwe to Zambia into central Africa, so we want to improve standards to match those of a (typical) border town by 2023,” Mr Majaya said.
The move is meant to unlock value in Kanyemba area, which shares borders with Mozambique on the east and Zambia on the northern side. The area which is located on the Zambezi river floodplain is currently dominated by lodges, fisheries and a little number of holiday homes.
Speaking at the investment conference held on Friday in Kanyemba, Mashonaland Central Provincial Administrator Cosmas Chiringa said the achievement of town status by Kanyemba required hard work from all stakeholders and Government.
“I challenge the Government and all the concerned stakeholders to have a united and collaborative endeavour in surpassing the current growth point status to the proposed town status by 2023,” Mr Chiringa said.
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