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Thupeyo Muleya in Musina, South Africa    
SOUTH Africa yesterday launched a logistics hub in Musina which is set to ease the cost of doing business and promote regional and international trade among Sadc member states.

The hub is a brainchild of Zimbabweans in the Diaspora and is a culmination of a partnership between Lion Share, Burbey Group, Barloworld, Mac and Transnet.

South Africa’s Minister of Industry and Trade, Dr Rob Davies, officially opened the logistics hub, better known as the Musina Intermodal Terminal (MIT).
The event was also graced by captains of industry including Ambassadors from Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique among others.

Dr Davies said the initiative was in line with the Sadc strategy on industrialisation and its quest to promote free trade and regional integration.

He said the logistics hub was part of the neighbouring country’s thrust to develop Special Economic Zones.

“This is an important step the private sector has initiated and falls under our plans on Special Economic Zones,” said Dr Davies.

“Musina lies on the Africa Union’s (AU) North-South corridor and it is pleasing to note that we have made a step in the right direction as we seek to reduce the amount of cargo moved by road to rail transport.

“Further, this MIT will create employment for many people around Limpopo province, where we have lined up a number of economic development programmes.

“Our target is to create 20 000 jobs when the Makhado-Musina Special Economic Zone is fully functional”.

Dr Davies said the hub would ease pressure on the Durban port through creating an alternative route for cargo leaving or entering Sadc.

Under the new order, goods will be shipped by rail from Durban and then off loaded to trucks at MIT for further transportation to Zimbabwe and other countries north of the Limpopo River.

Logistics for goods destined for Durban and overseas markets will be transported in the same manner.

Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to South Africa, Mr Isaac Moyo, said:

“The establishment of the logistics hub will reduce transport costs of cargo and also boost the Government’s policy on promoting the ease of doing business.

“We believe that the facility plays to our aspirations as a country in terms of regional integration issues.

“We have a desire to reduce the number of heavy vehicles on our roads.

“It is critical that we move the transportation of cargo from road to trains and invest more in rail transport and also review our border efficiency systems”.

He said the setting up of the MIT called for an urgent need to implement the One Stop border post concept between Zimbabwe and South Africa.

The issue (One Stop border post), he said, will dominate discussions during the two countries’ bi-national commission in October.

Mozambique’s Ambassador, Retired General Paulino Macaringue, said it was very critical for Sadc countries to open up One Stop borders.

He said these would address some of the teething challenges associated with movement of vehicular and human traffic among member countries.

“Such hubs are part and parcel of our efforts to expedite infrastructure development,” Rtd Gen Macaringue said.