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Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
GOVERNMENT will evaluate contractual obligations with the New Limpopo Bridge Pvt (Ltd), which built the bridge linking Zimbabwe and South Africa to expedite the operationalisation of the Beitbridge Bridge Fund, a Cabinet minister has said.

Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, who visited the border town last week, said that the outcome of the evaluation exercise would guide Government on the collection and use of bridge toll fees collected from motorists leaving or entering the country through Beitbridge Border Post.

The New Limpopo Bridge funded the construction of the second bridge linking the two countries in 1994 on a Build Operate and Transfer arrangement, which expired in 2014 and handed over the facility to the two neighbouring governments.

The then Transport Ministers, Dr Obert Mpofu (Zimbabwe) and Ms Dipuo Peters (South Africa) signed an agreement to establish the Beitbridge Bridge Development Fund to finance key infrastructure projects in Musina and Beitbridge towns.

At the moment the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) is collecting toll fees from the bridge on behalf of the Government. However, six years down the line the Beitbridge Bridge Fund is yet to see the light of the day.

According to Minister Ncube there is an urgent need for the Government to relook at the document to initiate all the processes leading to the release of the funds as agreed.

“As the Government we have noted the concerns from Beitbridge legislators (Hon Albert Nguluvhe and Hon Ruth Maboyi) on the existence of such a document, which will see us committing part of the funds raised from the border to the town’s infrastructure development initiatives,” said Prof Ncube.

“It is true that the town is the face of Zimbabwe to those entering from South Africa. We need to fund the growth of infrastructure in this place to match its strategic location as a transit point with high economic activity.

“At the same time we need, to push for resources allocations to upgrade water and sanitation facilities, which are a very critical component for urban development.

“While we wait for closure concerning the implementation of the Beitbridge Bridge Fund, I urge the local leaders here to seek more resources through the devolution funds.”

Minister Ncube said the legislators had requested for more funds from revenue generated at the border post, some of which will be spent on building more secondary schools with boarding facilities. He said water and sanitation and roads in the town were currently being overstretched. Currently the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) is said to be collecting a total of $1, 6 billion quarterly from the border hence the need to spruce up one of the Government’s cash cows.

Our Beitbridge Bureau understands that over 100 000 transit trucks and 50 000 locally bound trucks and 6 million travellers access Zimbabwe or South Africa via Beitbridge Border Post annually. Additionally goods worth over US$2 billion are imported via the same border from South Africa annually.