The Sunday Mail
Michael Tome
Business Reporter
Mbire Rural District Council has applied for Special Economic Zone status for Kanyemba area on the Zambezi River floodplain in order to unlock economic value.
Kanyemba is predominantly a hunting and safari area along with Masoka, Gonono and Dande of Mbire District.
It is home to the big five animals, excluding the rhino.
The area records annual revenues of $1 million from safari operations, fisheries, eco-tourism, lodges, wildlife (consumptive and non-consumptive safaris).
Hunting and photography are the main revenue earners in this border area.
Kanyemba Border Post is the shortest route into Central and East Africa, cutting the travelling distance used when accessing Central Africa through Chirundu Border Post by 600 kilometres.
The area has potential to grow into an economic hub like Beitbridge, Chirundu and Plumtree border posts if given the requisite support.
Addressing the business community and potential investors from Zimbabwe and Zambia at the just ended Mbire Investment Conference, Mashonaland Central Provincial Administrator Mr Cosmas Chiringa said Mbire Rural District Council had applied for Special Economic Zone status as part of a broader strategy to attract investment for the northernmost area of Mashonaland Central.
“Opening of Kanyemba Border Post as the shortest route into Central Africa has potential to attract more business into the district. I am glad to inform you that Mbire District has applied for Special Economic Zone status for Kanyemba and it is currently awaiting approval,” Mr Chiringa said.
The move is meant to unlock value in Kanyemba area, which shares borders with Mozambique on the east and Zambia on the north.
Tourism development consultant for Kanyemba Dr Takaruza Munyanyiwa said the area requires vigorous marketing to realise its full potential as a tourism and logistical hub.
“The issue is to enable this destination to contribute meaningfully both as a tourist destination and a logistical hub. We have been underselling Kanyemba as a tourism destination; we have to do everything we can to push these tourism products, for Zimbabwe to realise a boom in tourism revenue,” said Dr Munyanyiwa.
Amongst pleas made at the conference was the need to prioritise the construction of a bituminous road for the 143-kilometre distance linking Kanyemba Border Post to the rest of Zimbabwe since navigation to the border post remains a challenge.
Construction of a 3,5-kilometre access road is currently underway on the Zimbabwean side, with the building of landing harbour yet to commence.
Mashonaland Central Provincial Road Engineer Ernest Shenje said his department is in the process of constructing a pontoon landing bay and a 3,5-kilometre tarred road from the shores of Zambezi into the mainland, targeting the pontoon to be operational by March next year.
“This is a priority road and much of our 2016 provincial funds were channelled to the Harare-Kanyemba Road.
“Feasibility studies to construct a bridge (between Zimbabwe and Zambia) have been carried out, but currently we are working on ways to operationalise a pontoon, hence construction of a landing bay and 3,5-kilometre access road from the shore is now 60 percent complete, we hope to finish the civil works by March 2018,” Mr Shenje said.
The Zambian government has made strides in upgrading Luangwa border town. About 50 kilometres of the 89 kilometres of tarred road leading to the border post at Zambezi River have been constructed with the aim of delivering a pontoon by the beginning of next year.
Mr Gilbert Sandama, who was part of the Zambian delegation attending the Mbire Investment Conference, called upon the Zimbabwean Government to expedite the development of the Kanyemba Border Post route as it had capacity to enhance the economies of both countries.
“The Provincial Minister for the Lusaka Province has been tasked to ensure that the pontoon is delivered to Luangwa Ferry landing bay by January, 2018, 40km of gravel road network is upgraded to bituminous standard,” said Luangwa Town Council secretary Mr Sandama.
“Zambian government is ready to partner with Zimbabwe on tourism development. Resuscitation of the Kanyemba Border Post route all the way to the (north) of Africa will creat wealth for both Zambian and Zimbabwean people,” he said.
