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Thupeyo Muleya-Beitbridge Bureau
Zimborders Consortium has completed a new plant and animal quarantine centre at Beitbridge and handed it over to the Government as part of the US$300 million Beitbridge Border Post modernisation.
The facility is located some 5km north of the Beitbridge Border Post.
Its main function is to check that anyone bringing in livestock, pets, plants or seed has either obtained the required permits in advance or that these can be tested at the centre, or that biological matter can be held in quarantine.
This is to prevent the spread of diseases or undesirable invasive species into Zimbabwe. At the same time, the centre can do the required testing for exports, issuing certificates acceptable to the importing country.
The animal and plant quarantine centre is one of the key projects under the border modernisation that is set for completion at the end of June.
Within this facility, there are laboratories with a special focus on animal health, general hazards, and farming-related equipment that will be examined for conformity with import and export regulations.
Some of the laboratories will be managed by the Environmental Management Agency, Veterinary Services, Agriculture Plant, and the National Biotech Laboratory.
These will help decongest the border since this department will be based at the new site full time to attend to issues as and when they arise.
Zimborders Consortium chief executive officer, Mr Francois Diedrechsen, said they had since handed over the facility to the government for further management.
“We have completed the animal and plant quarantine facility and handed it to the government. We understand they are now working on the necessary process to operationalise it,” he said.
“In addition, we have completed the in-port works which include the construction of three terminals to handle freight, buses, light vehicles and passenger traffic,” he said.
“What is only left is to attend to ancillary works.” Some of the works under the border transformation include the construction of a fire station, sewer oxidation dam, 220 houses for border workers and a 11,4 megalitre water reservoir.
Mr Diedrechsen said they expected to hand over the water reservoir and the 220 housing units to the Government at the end of March.
He said the fire station, sewer oxidation dam and the water reservoir had been completed, while remarkable progress had been made on the housing units.
Although he wasn’t available yesterday, Beitbridge’s Health and Plant Inspector-in-charge, Mr Levy Gama said recently that the new facility will improve efficiencies considering that all laboratory analysis will be done on the spot.
He said previously they would send samples to other urban areas, especially in Harare, which was time-consuming.
Prior to the latest development, related services were being offered within the border area albeit under limited space.
In addition, there were laboratories to carry out all the necessary analyses on the spot.
The border modernisation is being done in a 17 and half years’ concession, which will see the consortium managing the facility for that period and retaining its investments from toll fees.
After that the facility will be handed over to the government.
Online Reporter