Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba in PLUMTREE
CONSTRUCTION of part of the Plumtree – Maitengwe Border Post Road in Bulilima District, Matabeleland South province, has begun, with the contractor already on site.
Plans are also underway to upgrade the Maitengwe Border Post.
Local firm Enock Construction Company has started work on a 10km stretch that begins in Plumtree town and extends just beyond Tsambani Shops at Makwa River in Village 28 along the Plumtree – Dombodema Road.
The road is expected to provide a vital link between Zimbabwe and Botswana through the busy Maitengwe Border Post, easing congestion and boosting trade once complete.
On Friday, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona, accompanied by Industry and Commerce Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu, Permanent Secretary Engineer Joy Makumbe, senior Government officials and members of the Parliamentary
Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development, led byTawanda Karikoga, toured the construction site.
In an interview, Minister Mhona said the project was a demonstration of Government’s commitment to ensuring that no community is left behind in development.
“Under the wise leadership of His Excellency, President Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, no place is going to be left behind,” he said.
“From Harare through Masvingo to Beitbridge, works are ongoing, and today we are here in Bulilima District on this important road leading to the Maitengwe Border Post.”
He said the project would not only enhance cross-border trade but also uplift local livelihoods through employment creation.
“This road will help open up our borders to promote trade and improve the lives of people in this community,” said Minister Mhona.
“The contractor has engaged local labour, which is enhancing the standard of living for our people.”
Minister Mhona commended the contractor for delivering quality work and urged more skilled Zimbabweans in the diaspora to return home and contribute to national development.
“This particular contractor is from this province and returned from the diaspora to invest back home,” he said.
“This should serve as a wake-up call to others abroad, you can come back and help rebuild our nation.”
The entire Plumtree–Maitengwe Road covers approximately 92 kilometres, and before construction began, it was a dusty, poorly maintained gravel road.
