admin
Elliot Ziwira and Sikhanyisiwe Ncube
Relations between Zimbabwe and Russia continue to bear fruit as the two countries committed to the implementation of a memorandum of understanding signed during the Russia-Africa Summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in July.
The MOU is envisaged to benefit the construction sector through collaboration in the development of modern infrastructure, new building technologies and provision of affordable housing.
The Second Republic, under the stewardship of President Mnangagwa, has been keeping its engagement and re-engagement drive on a positive trajectory, culminating in agreements with several countries in a bid to bolster cooperation across various sectors of the economy for the greater good.
National Housing and Social Amenities Minister Daniel Garwe yesterday said he took the opportunity of the World Construction Championship III held in Saint Petersburg, Russia, which he attended from October 17 to 20, to discuss the timelines of the MOU with his counterpart, Russian Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities, Irek Faizullin.
“This was a construction industry conference attended by 48 countries, including Zimbabwe and Russia. The major highlights were the migration from traditional methods of construction to the use of new technologies in light of climate emergencies,” said Minister Garwe.
His meeting with Minister Faizullin on the sidelines of the summit resulted in pointers and timelines being agreed upon, with his Russian counterpart expected to pay a reciprocal visit in the first quarter of next year.
Further areas of cooperation and investment opportunities in line with the agreement are expected to be explored during the visit.
Notably, Zimbabwean artisans are set to be trained on selected industrial courses before year end.
Minister Garwe thanked the Russian government for the warm welcome he and his delegation received, saying the rich historical linkages and interests that the two countries share date back to Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle.
“Zimbabwe got a lot of assistance from Russia during the liberation struggle, in terms of training and military equipment. Russia continues to assist Zimbabwe.
“It is one of the countries, together with China, which vetoed the sanctions some were trying impose against Zimbabwe at the United Nations Security Council.
“And, they continue supporting Zimbabwe in its quest to achieve Vision 2030. So, that relationship is treasured by Zimbabwe, and Russia also treasures the same,” he said.
Minister Garwe highlighted that the World Construction Championship III, attended by about 1 000 delegates from across the world, was a great learning slate for Zimbabwe as participants deliberated on numerous topics under the theme: “New Age Technology”.
He presented a paper on ensuring comfortable living conditions for people as a priority for the development of housing and communal complexes.
“We were sharing experiences with other countries on climate change mitigation and housing delivery in view of scarcity of land. Climate change is affecting Zimbabwe as well; therefore, the use of new technologies is the way forward.
“We are now experiencing high levels of heat, which means our designers, engineers and architects, particularly, must now come up with new designs that speak to climate change,” said the minister.
The Government had adopted densification and multi-storey complexes with the ground floors reserved for social amenities such as shops, gyms, and hair salons to ensure comfortable living.
In his presentation, Minister Garwe stressed the role of proper planning in keeping landscapes intact and protecting towns and the countryside from sprawl. He pointed out how President Mnangagwa ensured security of tenure through provision of title deeds for housing developments on State and local authority land.
Furthermore, the Government is formalising and sanitising informal and dysfunctional settlements by providing the requisite infrastructure meant to enhance social, economic, and environmental conditions for sustainable urban development.
The adaptation of the National Human Settlements Policy, would also ensure that rural homes are more resilient to climate change.
Launched by the President in 2020, the policy emphasizes that planning, development, and management of settlements should be consistent with national and international frameworks of disaster risk reduction as well as policies on the environment and climate change.
It prohibits the construction of housing and social amenities on wetlands and designated sites. The policy fully embraces inclusivity where quotas are reserved for women and other disadvantaged groups.
India, Belarus, Cuba, Malaysia, Congo Brazzaville, Tajikistan Laos, among others, brought leading manufacturers, suppliers, developers and corporate managers to present advanced ideas and solutions related to housing and utility services.
Other major takeaways from the conference came from the Russian Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities, Irek Faizullin, who highlighted his country’s achievements and infrastructural expansion in the previous budget year.
He said Russia, through his ministry, completed 80 million square metres of housing related projects. Other speakers emphasized the need for energy transition by reducing carbon emission and prioritising use of renewable energy.
Additional technologies that require serious pursuit in the construction industry include robotics and use of drones.
They underscored the need to tackle urbanisation through creation of new smart cities and proper waste management. Optimum application of new construction technologies to achieve set project objectives and targets are also crucial.
The Zimbabwean delegation toured construction projects, including the Domino 10 storey residential flats with 168 units where the building information modeling technology is being used.
The minister visited a 21 500-seater multi-purpose indoor sporting facility under construction in Saint Petersburg, and the 1775 constructed heritage restoration project, which is being rehabilitated at a cost of US$207 million to be used as the Music University of St Petersburg.
The tour also covered medical facilities, museums and cultural centres where the country’s history is chronicled. These centres trace documented innovations made during the course of existence of the Russian Federation. Among them, were the Kronstadt Naval Museum, St Peter’s Cathedral and St Nicholas’ Cathedral national monuments where the heroes of the 1917 revolution are buried.
Online Reporter