tawandamusarurwa
Prosper Ndlovu
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has left for Maputo, Mozambique, to join Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi and Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi for the signing of a Tripartite Agreement on the Techobanine Deep Water Port today.
He was seen off at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport this morning by Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga; Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere; Environment, Climate and Wildlife Minister Dr Sithembiso Nyoni; service chiefs and senior Government officials.
President Mnangagwa is accompanied by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Ambassador Frederick Shava and other senior Government officials.
The proposed project has an estimated budget of $6,5 billion covering the construction of the deep-water port in Matutuine District, as well as a 1 700km railway line linking Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
Its implementation has been under discussion since 2011.
Delays were, however, mainly attributed to lack of funding.
Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet (Presidential Communications) Mr George Charamba said the project is very significant for Zimbabwe, which, by virtue of being centrally located in Southern Africa, is visualising its own growth as a transport hub for the whole region.
“We have moved away from the old notion of a landlocked country to a land-linked country; more so, where you have a neighbour as friendly as Mozambique with a vast coastline, which provides lots of opportunities for sea-bound traffic, so really, what we are looking at is collaborative efforts to combine Zimbabwe, Botswana and Mozambique to create a railway line that passes through Zimbabwe but terminates in Botswana in order to make sure that Botswana has that logistical advantage,” he said.
… more to follow
Online Reporter