admin
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
BEITBRIDGE Municipality and Musina Municipality in neighbouring South Africa have started working on a twinning arrangement that will see the two local authorities signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under the Trans-Limpopo Spatial Development Initiative (TLSDI).
The arrangement will enhance cooperation between the two border towns, which share a lot in common in terms of cultural identities, economic ties and cross cutting challenges that come with their geographical locations as Sadc region’s biggest trade corridor.
A twinning relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties.
On a daily basis, the two towns handle an in transit population of about 15 000 people.
Both towns, which are like identical twins have a fair share of challenges, particularly when it comes dealing with cross-border crime, managing pandemics and public health, water, sewer and roads infrastructure, among other amenities.
Beitbridge town clerk, Mr Loud Ramakgapola said the principals from the two local authorities met in South Africa last week to pave way for the twinning arrangement.
“We are working on the Memorandum of Understanding which will cover a number of area where we feel there is a need to cooperate and share ideas. We are only separated by the Limpopo River but we share common challenges,” he said.
“So, we have agreed on a number of issues and the MoU will cover exchange programmes, including the development of Small to Medium Enterprises, sharing calendars of events. Some of the major events include trade fairs, the Marula Festival, Musina Annual Show, the Beitbridge mayor’s anti-litter marathon, the two countries marathon and annual budget speeches.”
Mr Ramakgapola said they also agreed to create joint women and youth entrepreneurs’ networks for cooperation in terms of the development of Special Economic Zones, which fall under the jurisdiction of both councils.
He said other areas under consideration include the strengthening of cultural and educational programmes.
Due to the high transit population movement the local authorities will also collaborate in managing issue of public health, epidemics, pandemics and endemics.
At the height of cholera outbreak in Beitbridge in 2008, Musina Local Municipality supplied the border town with clean drinking water as part of efforts to contain the disease. South African and Zimbabwean health officials worked together to fight the outbreak, which claimed dozens of lives in both towns.
The TLSDI was first proposed in 1998 with a MoU subsequently being signed in March 2001 between Matabeleland region and Limpopo Province.
The initiative is aimed at creating an economic corridor stretching from Limpopo Province in South Africa through to the Victoria Falls to promote trade and economic development in the Trans-Limpopo corridor as well as facilitating the flow of traffic and movement of people between the two countries.
South Africa and Zimbabwe authorities have resumed joint efforts to revive the implementation of the TLSDI.
The initiative is aimed at promoting economic growth in South Africa’s Limpopo and Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland provinces, which form a key trade artery for the region.
The two countries intend to use their collective resources to integrate their economies.
Last week, Gwanda Municipality and Makhado Local Municipality in Limpopo Province, South Africa, also met as part of efforts to revive their twinning MoU under the TLSDI.
Online Reporter