adminWalter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
THE government has urged parastatals to embrace Private Public Partnerships (PPP) in order to spur the country’s development agenda. In a speech read on his behalf by his deputy Engineer Michael Madanha at the commissioning of the refurbished Buffalo Range International Airport in Chiredzi yesterday, the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Joram Gumbo, hailed the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ), Malilangwe Trust and Tongaat Hullet for contributing to the refurbishment of the airport and challenged other organisations to follow suit.
The airport was refurbished at a cost of $212,000.
Cde Gumbo called on the business community to foster a spirit of working together to address the aspirations of the country’s economic revival blue-print, Zim-Asset.
He said one of Zim-Asset’s outcomes is that of spearheading a business environment in which public private partnerships are the preferred strategies for undertaking infrastructural projects.
“This is a key milestone achievement of the first public private partnership project in the aviation industry in Zimbabwe.
“To the three organisations who contributed to the refurbishment project, I say congratulations for a job well done,” said Cde Gumbo.
He said the refurbishment of the airport by the three partners is testimony of the co-operative and collaborative effort which should be applauded.
Cde Gumbo hailed the cooperative spirit demonstrated on the project, which shows that many obstacles can be overcome by working together.
“It’s my fervent belief and hope that the example set here today heralds the beginning of a new era of cooperation of private and public sector players,” he said .
“This view point is amply demonstrated by the commitment the government of Zimbabwe, through my ministry, has shown in undertaking vital and necessary aviation infrastructural developments throughout the country.”
Cde Gumbo said notable projects that the ministry had completed included Joshua Mqabuko International Airport in Bulawayo and the newly constructed and soon to be completed Victoria Falls International Airport.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting the aviation infrastructure through providing the necessary funding or mobilising the needed resources by way of concessionary loans.
Among those who attended the event were provincial director in Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Kudakwashe Machako, Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development permanent secretary Munesuishe Munodawafa, CAAZ chief executive officer David Chawota, Tongaat Hullet Zimbabwe chief executive officer Sydney Mutsambiwa and Chief Tshovani.
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