The Sunday Mail
Lincoln Towindo
Two foreign engineering firms have been awarded tenders to rehabilitate the Beitbridge-Chirundu Highway, paving way for works on the US$3 billion project.According to a notice gazetted under General Notice 396 of 2016, Austrian firm Geiger International and China Harbour Engineering Company will share work on the 897 km project. The announcement of the tender award puts to rest the long running saga where Zim Highways, a group of local firms that initially won the tender in 2002 before having it revoked after failing to raise the required capital for the project, had sort to bar the project through the courts.
An out of court settlement was reached with Government last year. The rehabilitation and dualisation of the highway is one of the major infrastructure development projects targeted under ZimAsset. The Sunday Mail understands that work on the mega-project is expected to be complete in three years. The road is one of the busiest in Southern Africa, linking Beitbridge — the busiest border post in Sub-Saharan Africa — and the rest of the continent. The Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu highway facilitates regional trade and the movement of millions of people across Africa.
The notice reads: “It is hereby notified that His Excellency the President has, mindful of the importance to the nation and to the Regional Road Network of the captioned highway (Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu), given a policy direction to the State Procurement Board in terms of the Procurement Act (Chapter 22:14), to award the tender for the dualisation, rehabilitation and upgrade of the Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu Highway to Geiger International in association with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC).
“The State Procurement Board has accordingly awarded the project to the said contractors.”
CHEC is a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC) and has vast experience in developing similar projects across Africa. Geiger International specialises in the construction of roads and bridges, civil engineering, development of power generation projects as well as developing municipal infrastructure. Mr Atkinson Munemo, a transport and logistics expert based in Harare said, “If the road is dualised it means that transit time between Beitbridge and Chirundu will be reduced. This will result in a quick turnaround of revenue for transporters.
“The road will also mean an increase in revenue for Government through gate pass fees, tollgates, EMA fines and Zimra fees since the road will attract more traffic.”
