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Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau

THE massive transformation and modernisation of the Zimbabwean side of the Beitbridge Border Post has charmed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa who committed to emulate his neighbour by implementing similar upgrades to ensure seamless flow of human and vehicular traffic, which promotes regional and international trade. 

President Mnangagwa led President Ramaphosa on a tour of the US$300 million transformed Beitbridge Border Post yesterday where the two leaders met to discuss logistics around the construction of a third bridge across the Limpopo River as part of efforts to enhance smooth border services.

Cabinet has already approved the proposed bridge project, and Zimbabwe has pledged to fund its construction from local resources. 

At the moment a maximum of 25 000 travellers, 1 200 commercial trucks, 200 buses and 2 000 light vehicles use the border post daily. The idea of having a second road bridge is meant to promote regional and international trade by having a seamless flow of commercial cargo through the Beitbridge Border Post.

Technocrats in Zimbabwe are already hard at work, setting up the necessary legal frameworks and the contractor was completing the feasibility studies while the basic political permissions were being given.

Following the upgrades, the Zimbabwean side of the border has three terminals for freight, buses and private cars/pedestrians and is also automated, linking South Africa with Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique, Angola, DRC, Malawi and Tanzania.

The two leaders also agreed to pursue the full implementation of the One Stop Border Concept between the two countries, which is critical in promoting the ease of doing business.

Yesterday’s engagement was a follow up to the exchange of notes that the two Head of States had in New York recently where they both attended the United Nations General Assembly.

During the tour, President Ramaphosa expressed excitement over Zimbabwe’s progress as he praised President Mnangagwa for the strides he made in modernising the strategic border post.

“I feel a little bit of an under performer because my elder brother has done much better and I am here to learn,” he said. 

“We are going to copy what Zimbabwe has done on this side and we now know exactly what we need to do on our side and because, in order to enhance, our relationship political, commercial and people to people, we need to modernise the movement through upgrading our infrastructure.

“We came here to appreciate what my elder brother, President Mnangagwa has done in transforming this place.  It is pleasing to see the improvement of the infrastructure for border control on the Zimbabwean side.” 

He noted, especially, that infrastructure development should be matched on both sides of the Limpopo River, which is a common heritage.

With the advent of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the South African President said infrastructure development including construction of a new bridge will boost trade in a significant way.

“This is Africa’s century and we are expecting trade and investment to grow in our region,” said President Ramaphosa.

He said the one stop border post concept that makes the movement of people seamless will be easy to implement now that there will be relevant infrastructure on both sides of the border.

In an interview soon after the tour, President Mnangagwa said his administration was moving a gear up to ensure development of standard infrastructure to match the rapidly growing regional and international trade.

“We met in New York and had a chat with my brother (Ramaphosa) and he told me he was coming to Musina and we agreed to come and meet,” said President Mnangagwa.

“When he said he was coming to the border, I said you can’t come to Musina and not visit the border. We are here, what else would we want when two brothers meet and break bread?

“So, we have exchanged notes on what we need to do to enhance the ease of doing business including the construction of the relevant infrastructure on both sides of the border.”

Following the completion of the upgrades at the new-look border, Zimbabwe started engaging South Africa for landing rights to construct a third bridge. 

The Government intends to have the new proposed bridge to run parallel to the New Limpopo Bridge.  The original Alfred Beit Bridge paid for by the Beit Trust was opened in 1929 replacing the old Leibigs Drift as the direct road link between Zimbabwe and South Africa. Over the years traffic gradually grew and in the mid-1970s the railway went over the same bridge when the new Rutenga-Beitbridge link was built. 

By the mid-1990s the old bridge was hardly coping and in 1995 the second bridge, the New Limpopo Bridge, a pure road bridge, was opened.

This allowed the old Alfred Beit Bridge to be dedicated to rail and pedestrian traffic, with the growing flood of pedestrians grateful for the dramatic increase in safety

Under the one stop border post regime, operations are harmonised and travellers or cargo is cleared once for passage into either country. 

At the moment the processes are being duplicated at both countries’ borders.

In a recent interview, Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister, Felix Mhona said: 

“Initially when we were undertaking this project, we were supposed to have constructed the second bridge, but because of bilateral arrangements we decided to separate it from the current border work”. He said although there were possibilities about traffic being diverted via Botswana to Kazungula Border Post where Botswana, Zambia and Botswana meet, with              Zimbabwe now a shareholder of the new bridge there, the Government was offering efficiency as a premium to boost trade through Beitbridge Border Post.

South Africa’s  government also recently approved a proposal by the Ministry of Home Affairs to upgrade six of its major ports of entry including the Beitbridge Border Post.

The six earmarked ports of entry are: Beitbridge – Zimbabwe, Lebombo – Mozambique, Maseru Bridge – Lesotho, Ficksburg – Lesotho, Kopfontein – Botswana and Oshoek – Eswatini.