adminThe Herald, 12 September, 1980
THE Southern African Development Coordinating Conference summit yesterday concluded its one-day ministerial meeting in Salisbury with agreement on the establishment of priority transport and communications projects that were “the key to the strategy of economic liberation”.
A communiqué listed these generally as:
Rehabilitation of all existing transport and communication facilities.
Establishment of telecommunications and civil aviation infrastructures.
New road, rail, air and lake transport systems where feasibility studies had already been completed.
Feasibility studies for further additions to the infrastructures for regional road, rail, internal marine, air and shipping facilities.
A provisional list of specific project proposals will be put to the Maputo meeting of the conference on November 27-28, when funding will be sought from Eastern, Western and Arab bloc development agencies.
Most “well-to-do” countries had been invited to the Maputo meeting, the conference chairman, Mr P. S. Mmusi, Minister of Finance and Development Planning for Botswana, said at a Press conference last night.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
After independence Zimbabwe’s goal was to build on the liberation of the economy for the common good of the people’s lives and way of living by rehabilitating all infrastructure including communication facilities, roads, rail and dams in order to have a successful economy.
The Second Republic continues to make significant progress under the second phase of the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP), as part of intensified efforts to improve the country’s road network. Under the phased road rehabilitation programme, the Government pledged US$33,6 billion and the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (ZINARA) has since disbursed over US$$2,3 billion towards the programme.
The road rehabilitation programme is an unprecedented commitment of resources towards the country’s road infrastructure. The Government recognised that functional roads are the backbone of economic development and social cohesion.
Online Reporter