Staff Reporter
Presidential Spokesperson George Charamba says Zimbabwe will be part of the Kazungula project once it pays its contribution, highlighting that the current thrust should be on improving the in-country and through-country arterial routes and attending to both road and rail networks.
Posting on his Twitter handle @jamwanda2, Mr Charamba says Zimbabwe is naturally placed as a sub-regional hub, adding that any other route through Kazungula which avoids Zimbabwe has an extra 200 plus kilometres which transporters will have to contend with.
“What ignorant pundits on Kazungula debate never want to know is that a tripartite agreement was reached that Zimbabwe will become part of the project once it pays its own contribution. Discussions are smoothly underway. Until that payment is done, Kazungula remains jointly owned by Botswana and Zambia. It is that straightforward.
“Kazungula Bridge is one part of several routes servicing the North-South Corridor. It isn’t the only route. Besides, part of the Kazungula traffic passes through Zimbabwe, a country naturally placed as a sub-regional hub. Any other route through Kazungula which avoids Zimbabwe has to contend with an extra 200 plus kilometres. No sensible logistician ignores that spatial fact in logistical calculus. Add to that services for cargo in transit, through-Zimbabwe routes become a logical preference,” says Mr Charamba.
Mr Charamba says Zimbabwe’s current thrust of improving its own in-country and through-country arterial routes is a winning one.
“This means attending to both road and rail network, while developing and extending its pipeline network to make it extra-territorial. Such a multi-modal transport. Strategy is likely to turn Zimbabwe into a real sub-regional hub, while value-addition makes it an exporter. To remind each other that transport is derived from demand, the demand for transport is linked to economic activity. Not the other way.
“The route through Botswana complements services on North-South Corridor. It doesn’t compete with routes through Zimbabwe. The North-South Corridor is the fastest growing corridor on the continent. The sky will be large enough for all birds to fly,” says Mr Charamba.
He says revenues from transit services are never the mainstay of any economy, more important investments do go towards defining a country as a winning proposition.
“There is more to be got if Zimbabwe ensures efficient operation of routes linking it to Mozambique and South Africa, themselves natural outlets, or her exports. Indeed, a lot more to be got by structurally changing the Zimbabwe Economy into a manufacturing proposition which then exports northwards. As matters stand, Zimbabwe’s sub-regionally regulated routes bear the burden of South Africa’s north-bound exports,” he said.
Mr Charamba says joint port facility investments along the vast Mozambican coast, and ensuring the route to Maputo through Chicualacuala is done and efficiently managed, adding that the Kanyemba route up to DRC is a route to consider for the future.
Former Cabinet Minister, Sylvester Nguni, on his Twitter handle posted that Kazungula will benefit Zimbabwe by reducing congestion at Beitbridge Border Post, speeding up revenue collection, reducing corruption at Beitbridge Border Post and reduce damage to Zimbabwe’s infrastructure .
The Kazungula project is meant to facilitate trade through reducing transit time for freight and passengers and a reduction in time-based trade and transport costs and improvement in border management operations arising from the new one-stop border facility.
