adminSukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
THE Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) has availed $32,000 towards electrifying and carrying out maintenance work at the Mpoengs Border Post in Mangwe.
Lack of electricity and poor maintenance of infrastructure were hindering the border post from being fully operational.
The western region has three border posts namely Plumtree, Mpoengs and Maitengwe. Travellers have been flooding the Plumtree Border as the other two are under developed.
Mangwe National House of Assembly member, Obedingwa Mguni said maintenance work was still ongoing at the border to make it fully operational.
“The government availed a $32,000 fund through Zimra towards electrifying the border. Zesa workers have completed all the necessary connections.
“What’s left are other infrastructural development works such as the mounting of water tanks and replacing old furniture at the border offices,” he said.
Mguni said the border had been operating for several years without electricity.
He said the process of electrifying the border complex was long overdue.
Mguni said electrifying the border would benefit travellers from districts close to Mangwe who had to travel several more kilometres to reach Botswana as they were forced to pass through the Plumtree Border.
“Once the border is fully operational then it will be of great service to travellers from Kezi, Matobo, Gwanda and most important of all Mangwe and other surrounding districts.
“At the moment travellers from Gwanda have to travel more than 300 kilometres to reach Francistown instead of travelling less than 200 kilometres if they pass through the Mpoengs Border Post,” said Mguni.
He said once the project of electrifying the border had been commissioned they would advocate that it operates for longer hours.
Mguni, however, said part of the road leading to Mpoengs Border from Plumtree Town was in a terrible state and efforts were underway to develop it.
He said traditional leaders within the district were in the process of collecting money from villagers that would be used to purchase fuel for road maintenance.
Mguni said development at the border would bring about development within the entire district.
The regional immigration officer in charge of western region, Regies Munyaradzi said the two borders, Mpoengs in Mangwe and Maitengwe in Bulilima, were failing to serve their purpose of easing congestion at the Plumtree Border Post.
“A lot of travellers avoid passing through Maitengwe and Mpoengs Borders no matter how short the route is because the two borders are underdeveloped. Travellers passing through the two borders are being cleared manually while the staff at Maitengwe is operating from make shift structures. As a result we’ve been faced with a lot of pressure at the Plumtree Border Post especially during public holidays,” said Munyaradzi.
He said the two borders had to be electrified as it was difficult to operate throughout the day using generators for power supply.
Bongani Moyo
Online Reporter