Zimbabwe becoming region’s logistics hub

Source: Zimbabwe becoming region’s logistics hub – herald

Wallace Ruzvidzo wallace.ruzvidzo@zimpapers.co.zw

ZIMBABWE is journeying towards attaining the status of being the region’s logistics hub, as the country inches closer to achieving upper-middle-income economic status by 2030, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira has said.

Briefing the media at President Mnangagwa’s directive upon arriving back from Mozambique’s Sofala Province, Nhamatanda, where the President and his counterpart, President Daniel Chapo, officially laid the first stone marking the commencement of Phase II of the Companhia do Pipeline Moçambique-Zimbabwe (CPMZ)

Pipeline Expansion, the Foreign Minister said yesterday’s groundbreaking was in line with Zimbabwe’s agenda to ensure the establishment of critical energy infrastructure.

“His Excellency the President’s objective at his inauguration in 2017 has always been to integrate Zimbabwe into the global economy, as well as grow Zimbabwe’s economy to an upper middle-income economy.

“So the actions that have to be taken into consideration include the actions on infrastructure.

“So for Zimbabwe to grow, it needs energy. For Zimbabwe to grow, it needs infrastructure that transmits that energy, and this pipeline is one of the critical infrastructures that Zimbabwe needs to grow its economy.

“And you know the pipeline capacity is going to be upgraded from about 9 million to about 12 million litres, and going to about 4 to 5 billion litres a year,” he said.

Prof Murwira said the ultimate aim was to make Harare an energy hub to Lusaka, Francistown, Lilongwe and Kinshasa, among others.

The Mozambique-Zimbabwe Pipeline Company, (CPMZ) capacity expansion project will see the construction of two new pumping stations at Nhamatanda and Messica in Manica Province, raising the Beira-Feruka pipeline’s annual transportation capacity.

“So what we are looking at is Zimbabwe getting into the status of a logistics hub.

It cannot be a logistics hub without the logistics infrastructure being put in place.

“So His Excellency the President today has been with his counterpart, his younger brother, President Chapo, actually doing the laying of the foundation stones for the upgrading of this critical
pipeline, this critical energy infrastructure for Zimbabwe.

“And of course, this critical energy infrastructure, the aim is to make sure that Harare becomes the hub and then is transmitted to Lusaka, to Francistown, to Lilongwe, to Blantyre,” said Minister Murwira.

Simply put, he said yesterday’s groundbreaking ceremony was “the unveiling of a dream”.

“So this is the realisation of the Vision 2030, the realisation of the objectives that His Excellency the President, Dr E.D Mnangagwa, set up on 24 November 2017.

“And we are looking at the unveiling of the dream.

“It’s becoming a reality, so things are happening,” said Prof Murwira.

The expansion will add two new pumping stations and strengthen the movement of fuel from Beira to Zimbabwe and beyond.

It will synchronise with the PetroZim Line to reinforce fuel supply and energy security across Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and other neighbouring countries like Zambia, Botswana, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Construction of two new pumping stations in Nhamatanda, Sofala Province, and Messica, Manica Province, will increase the Beira Feruka pipeline’s annual transport capacity by 67 percent, a situation that will help to meet rising demand for diesel, petrol and jet fuel across the region.

The 294-kilometre Beira Feruka pipeline is a critical component of the Beira corridor, connecting the Port of Beira with Zimbabwe and the wider Southern African hinterland.

President Mnangagwa was welcomed back home by Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga, Cabinet Ministers, Service Chiefs, and other senior Government officials.

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