SADC urged to cooperation in infrastructure development

(New Ziana) -Southern African Development Community countries should collaborate in developing infrastructure such as roads and railways in order to jointly tap into development finance to achieve this goal, according to a Zimbabwe Cabinet Minister.

Transport and Infrastructural Development, Minister Felix Mhona, said this during the Zimbabwe-Mozambique bilateral meeting on cooperation in transport infrastructure held in the capital on Thursday.

“With the current boom in exports of chrome ore, ferrochrome, granite, lithium, iron ore, coal and many bulky minerals and inbound movement of containers, grains, fertilisers and containerised traffic, it is high time we should up our game and collaborate for us to jointly tap into development finance to develop our infrastructure,” he said.

He said Zimbabwe’s bilateral cooperation with Mozambique should enable the two countries to tap into the annual flows of foreign direct investment (FDI) from the international financial institutions and other sources of development finance.

Mhona called for the joint development of transport corridors as they are key for African integration.

He said unified economic development of the African region has become a Pan-African initiative, which commenced in 1963 through the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) which was later renamed the African Union (AU).

“Since then, Africa has been on the trajectory of economic growth by opening new frontiers of cooperation, as Zimbabwe and Mozambique are demonstrating today,” he said.

“It thus calls for greater collaboration and support for Africa led initiatives, to ensure the achievement of the aspirations of African people.”

Mhona said Zimbabwe is committed to building more and better roads, bridges, airports, railway- networks and border crossing facilities, which he however said it cannot do alone.

He said it is imperative to promote cooperation between Southern African countries and facilitate seamless mobilities among them, he said, adding that it should be appreciated that Mozambique is a strategic transport corridor for land-linked countries such as Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Speaking at the same event, Mozambican Transport Minister Mateus Magala said the two countries were united in the struggle for economic development and improvement of the living conditions of their people, and they were confident that they can achieve visible and impactful results if they continue to work together with a purpose.

He said considering Mozambique’s role in providing better logistics pathways for imports and exports within SADC, he has the primary responsibility of working with his colleagues to strengthen their collaborations, implementing reforms that allow for improved accessibility and mobility of people and goods on their main transport corridors, namely the Beira, Maputo and Nacala Corridors.

Magala hailed the new Robert Mugabe International Airport, saying it was a strong statement of the country’s commitment to development.

“I have to say it is for me the best of its kind in our region if not in the whole Africa,” he said. – New Ziana