Chirundu Border Post to get US$67m upgrade

Chirundu Border Post between Zimbabwe and Zambia is set to be upgraded in a US$67 million Public Private Partnership (PPP) between the Government of Zimbabwe and a local consortium, a Cabinet Minister has revealed.

Chirundu Border Post is a one-stop port on the banks of the Zambezi River between Zimbabwe and Zambia, about 140km southeast of the Zambian capital, Lusaka and 360km to Harare from the border facility.

Chirundu and the Beitbridge Border Post between South Africa and Zimbabwe are the busiest ports of entry on the north-south corridor with about 220 heavy goods vehicles moving across them in both directions daily.

Briefing the media on Tuesday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere, said the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development had entered into a PPP agreement with a locally registered company, the Chirundu Border Consortium, to modernise the one-stop border post.

“The Project will be implemented under the Build, Operate, Own and Transfer model over a period of 20 years. According to the Agreement, Chirundu Border Consortium, a Zimbabwean registered company, will be responsible for the following renovating existing border post buildings and infrastructure, construction of new buildings, weighbridges, roads and parking lots, enhancing, improving and integrating information communication technology systems (ICTs) into the border post operations, improving traffic processing systems and constructing staff housing,” he said.

“In line with Government policy of promoting a private sector-led economy, Chirundu Border Consortium will fully provide the required funds to cover the estimated project cost to the tune of US$66,8 million.”

Muswere said the improvement of the Chirundu Border Post will bring immense economic benefits to the country including complementing and improving efficiency at the Beitbridge Border Post and the upgraded Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu highway.

It will also enhance the movement of transit traffic, thereby making the route the most preferred along the North-South Corridor, improve the connectedness of Zimbabwe to the region, positioning the country to benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area, resulting in Zimbabwe moving goods much faster than before, while creating employment for surrounding communities.

Fielding questions from the media on the issue, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona said Chirundu Border Consortium was the same company that modernised the Beitbridge Border Post during which it gained a lot of experience.

“With the advent of ZiG (new currency) where we are moving towards stabilisation of our currency and mono currency,” said Mhona “that on its own will allay fears of volatility which is now a thing of the past.

“As a nation, we are gravitating towards mono currency and I am glad to say that since this is one of the international contracts we have in US dollars, we are dealing with a contractor who has perfected the art of doing border post modernisation. A good example is the Beitbridge Border Post, it’s the same contractor so in terms of plugging the gaps, he has already managed to go through the same process and he will be doing it much better than at Beitbridge Border Post.” — Business Writer/NewZiana