Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
ZIMBABWE and Mozambique officials met yesterday in Beira at a Joint Border Committee meeting which sought to strengthen regional connectivity, improve corridor performance and ensure the movement of people and goods is seamless between the two countries.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Engineer Joy Makumbe, is leading the Zimbabwe delegation.
The meeting is being attended by various officials from various ministries and government departments, including foreign affairs, industry and commerce, immigration, customs and law enforcement.
Addressing the meeting, Eng Makumbe said the Beira Corridor in Mozambique was the lifeline of the two countries’ economies as it supported agriculture, mining, manufacturing, industry and the livelihoods of millions of citizens.
“It is my honour and privilege to address you at the opening of this important session of the Joint Border Committee (JBC), convened under the framework of the warm and longstanding bilateral relations between Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Our gathering today is a clear demonstration of our shared commitment to strengthening regional connectivity, improving corridor performance, and ensuring that the movement of people and goods between our two nations is safe, predictable, and seamless.
“Our cooperation is not merely administrative; it is strategic. Zimbabwe and Mozambique are bound together by geography, by trade, and by a shared vision of an integrated, competitive, and prosperous region. The Beira Corridor is the lifeline of our economies. It supports agriculture, mining, manufacturing, industry, and the livelihoods of millions of our citizens,” she said.
She said in December 2025, the Ministers of Transport and Infrastructural Development; Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage; and the Minister of Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Manicaland Province visited Forbes Border Post to assess the causes of delays and recommended practical measures to decongest the border.
“Their findings highlighted several persistent challenges: congestion and delays that increase costs, disrupt supply chains, and reduce competitiveness; Infrastructure constraints that have not kept pace with rising traffic volumes; fragmented and inconsistent procedures that undermine predictability for operators; security and compliance risks, including illicit activities that threaten corridor integrity; and limited harmonisation of regulatory frameworks and operational practices between our two countries.
“These challenges are systemic. They cannot be resolved in isolation. They require coordinated, cross-border solutions — and this is precisely why the JBC mechanism is so important. It provides a structured platform for dialogue, joint planning, and problem solving, ensuring that corridor issues are addressed collectively rather than in silos,” Eng Makumbe said.
She said in March 2026, officials from both countries, with support from TradeMark Africa, met in Mutare to draft the Terms of Reference for the Joint Border Committee for the Forbes–Machipanda Border Post.
Eng Makumbe said the broader objective is to strengthen institutional coordination, streamline systems, and improve efficiency and safety at this strategic gateway along the Beira Corridor.
During the meeting, Eng Makumbe highlighted several priority areas requiring focused attention and these include improving corridor performance through harmonised procedures, predictable transit times, and efficient traffic management, and strengthening border operations, including coordinated inspections, integrated systems, and adoption of modern technologies.
