The Sunday Mail
Return of British capital
Two portentous developments happened last week. First, I hosted a group of investors from the United Kingdom, and later received the new British Ambassador to our country, Zimbabwe.
President E.D. Mnangagwa
The group of investors from the UK included Zimbabwean nationals living in that country. The group was led by Mr Algy Cluff, one of the earliest British investors to invest in a free Zimbabwe soon after our independence in 1980. He later disinvested from the country and left, apparently quite an unhappy and disappointed man.
His return, a couple of decades later, thus, suggests the restoration of investor confidence in Zimbabwe, thanks to the far-flung reforms we have instituted, both to make capital feel safe and for the ease of doing business.
Mr Cluff embodies two contradictory lessons for our country, namely, that global capital is timid, sensitive and impatient; secondly, that with suitable reforms and incentives, Zimbabwe is a strong mining proposition quite capable of a strong showing globally. We must build on our unique mineral endowments and sound policies to grow our economy, and to create more jobs for our people, especially the youths.
President Mnangagwa and his South African counterpart President Cyril Ramaphosa tour the newly refurbished Beitbridge Border Post
Bilateral relations on even keel
While at the United Nations General Assembly, I met Mister (Andrew) Mitchell, the British Minister for Africa. This was one more such meeting in a series. In that meeting, we both agreed we needed to normalise our bilateral relations, and to scale them up so both Zimbabwe and Britain can make up for the lost decades during our costly diplomatic standoff. The coming of the new British ambassador so soon after our meeting in New York, and quite soon after his predecessor had left, bodes well for our relations, and shows a seriousness of intent to restore our relations to normalcy.
Our recent harmonised elections, which were peaceful, democratic, free, fair and transparent, continue to send positive signals in both diplomatic and business markets around the globe. We need to harness this emerging goodwill to secure our readmission into the Commonwealth and for arrears clearance and debt resolution.
Encouraging capital from our diaspora
It would be remiss of me not to mention and acknowledge Zimbabweans living in the UK, who were part of the group of investors I met from that country. As in the United States and elsewhere, there is a growing realisation by Zimbabweans in the diaspora that Zimbabwe, their home, presents enormous opportunities for them and foreigners alike.
There is a readiness on their part to come back home to invest and to contribute. Our investment policies must, thus, continue to make this not just possible, but rewarding.
There is a whole raft of incentives we can and should develop, which are tailor-made especially for them. They are, after all, our nationals who are returning home. They deserve our utmost welcome as they seek to repatriate skills, share their experience and commit their hard-earned capital to Zimbabwe.
Upgrading port services at Beitbridge and Musina
The second development was again mooted on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa intimated that he would visit the Musina Border upon his return from UNGA. South Africa, he added, planned to revamp and upgrade its border facilities and services at this crucial port of entry which we share, and itself the busiest port on the African continent.
This our neighbour hopes to do by creating a Border Management Authority, BMA, under which all port services are housed and operated in an integrated fashion for more efficiency. Together, we are working towards establishing a one-stop border post, OSBP, in line with the goals and spirit of the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA.
Making our infrastructures, systems compatible
In that meeting, I then suggested we both meet at the port, so together we could tour the port of entry from both borders. He graciously agreed, leading to the successful joint tour we had last Thursday. The purpose of that joint tour was to ensure we lay the infrastructural basis for seamless port operations to promote efficient movement of people, goods and services. This critical goal rides on our excellent historical and bilateral relations, and on our ever strengthening trade and investment ties.
South Africa is much more than a neighbour; it is Zimbabwe’s largest trading partner, numerous people-to-people social and cultural affinities quite apart. We are also her gateway to and from the North, making our bilateral relations comprehensive and strategic. Against this important consideration, our infrastructures have been lagging behind the ever-growing demand, and were not quite talking to each other by way of operating systems and procedures.
Beitbridge, an exemplar
We were the first to do something about this mismatch, through the modernisation of the Beitbridge Port. Today, it is an exemplar of a modern and efficient port infrastructure and operating system. We were able to share our experiences in developing the Beitbridge Port with our South African brothers and sisters. It was a very happy and fulfilling day for both countries.
Another bridge across
the Limpopo
The joint tour quite apart, President Ramaphosa and I also discussed possibilities of building another bridge across Vembe or Limpopo River. This is a project which Zimbabwe will wholly fund and execute, but it requires South Africa’s say-so so the proposed bridge is accorded landing rights on the South African side. I am happy that President Ramaphosa was supportive. An additional bridge will enhance vehicular traffic between our two territories, thus, improving even more the movement of people, goods and services.
Road, rail and air modes
We both realised that Beitbridge and Musina do not have good airport facilities for air traffic. Zimbabwe intends to extend the existing runway at Beitbridge so it is able to host bigger aircraft. This would give the border town and post a triad modal capacity, namely, rail, road and air traffic.
Our refurbishment and extension of Buffalo Range Airport is part of our grand plan for the Southern Corridor.
From the air, I was able to appreciate the expansion of cane fields in Chiredzi. This is most encouraging, given that Tugwi Mukosi waters are now available and are being utilised fully, and gainfully. Government is already working on a new masterplan premised on waters of Lake Mutirikwi and Manjirenji Dam, which should underpin the development of drylands in Masvingo province.
Greening the Southern Corridor
Plans are afoot to build a huge water body, Tende-Runde, through private capital. South Africa has a direct interest in this mega project, which should slack the thirst of South Africa’s Limpopo, quite apart from turning dry districts of Mwenezi and Beitbridge into green belts.
I am also happy that work is underway to refurbish the Beitbridge-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road, and this as a precursor to the dualisation and modernisation of that key arterial highway.
Model of land-linked country
A lot looks very bright for our country and our SADC sub-region. We remain determined to make Zimbabwe the model of a land-linked country and a sub-regional transport hub.
