Locals urged to utilise Walvis Bay dry port

Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter
THE country’s Ambassador to Namibia Mrs Rofina Chikava has implored local industrialists to consider utilising the newly-established dry port facility in Walvis Bay as part of efforts to enhance business and trade opportunities between Zimbabwe and the rest of the world.

President Mnangagwa and his Namibian counterpart President Hage Geingob officially opened the Zimbabwe Dry Port facility on July 26, 2019.

Zimbabwe got a 50-year lease of 1,82ha for the construction of a dry port facility in Walvis Bay. The facility is expected to provide a strategic and cheaper gateway to the Atlantic Ocean for Zimbabwean manufacturers and international businesses.

The construction of the Zimbabwe Dry Port in Namibia is in line with President Mnangagwa’s mantra that “Zimbabwe is Open for Business”.

In an interview on the sidelines of a meeting in Bulawayo to promote the dry port to the Zimbabwe market yesterday, Ambassador Chikava urged captains of industry to take advantage of the dry port as an alternative in terms of movement of goods into the country.

“We have a special project, which was mandated by our two Heads of State, President Mnangagwa and President Hage Geingob, when they opened the Zimbabwe Dry Port in Walvis Bay. Our country is landlocked and therefore when we have access to the sea, we have to take it seriously and try to bring our exports and imports through a cheaper route,” Ambassador Chikava said.

“I therefore implore captains of industry to capitalise on this facility. We are not saying stop using other ports, but we are simply saying there is another alternative; bring your goods through our dry port in Walvis Bay so that we can balance the movement of goods into our country.”

Zimbabwe and Namibia have launched a joint bid to promote and market the dry port facility in Walvis Bay.

There are also ongoing roadshows to promote the facility to key stakeholders.

“We have had several complaints of congestion from Durban to Beitbridge and even Beira to Forbes border post, but if you go to the other side where we have Walvis Bay, there is no congestion. We urge captains of industry to use our own dry port to enhance the ease of doing business in Zimbabwe,” said Ambassador Chikava.

“We should take advantage of the alternative route and compare the costs as well. Initially it might look like an insurmountable task, but it is important that we look at an alternative route where you can also cut the days of movement of goods.”

Ambassador Chikava urged Zimbabweans to also consider exploring the Namibian market and consider commodities such as salt and fish so that they balance their returns.

Namibian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Nicklaas Kandjii said there is already cooperation between Zimbabwe and Namibia on the political and social fronts, but there is a need for increased trade between the two countries.

“We need to take advantage of the close political relations that exist between our two countries. The establishment of the Zimbabwe Dry Port in Namibia must spur trade volumes between the two countries,” he said.

The development of the dry port is in sync with the aspirations of the Sadc Protocol on Transport, Communication and Meteorology of 1996, which seeks to remove trade barriers in the region through trade facilitation.

Zimbabwe and Namibia have moved together on a number of regional integration initiatives under the framework of the Sadc Vision 2050 and Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan 2020-2030, which were approved by the 40th Ordinary Sadc summit on August 17 last year.

The Sadc Vision 2050 is premised on three pillars, which include infrastructure development in support of regional integration, which Zimbabwe and Namibia are vigorously pursuing through initiatives such as the refurbishment of ports.

The Bilateral Air Services Agreement cooperation between Zimbabwe and Namibia is progressing well, notwithstanding the temporary hiccup of suspended flights due to Covid-19 restrictions. — @mashnets