PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has struck the right chord in the country’s development trajectory through the adoption of an inward-looking developmental model that has culminated in the completion of watershed projects like the recently commissioned Trabablas Interchange in Harare.
From this development model, the country is set to derive huge benefits as it will reduce foreign dependency, lower the country’s vulnerability to external shocks, support domestic industries and create jobs, spare the country from the debt trap while it leads to technological development by encouraging innovation and technological advancement.
This is in line with President Mnangagwa’s philosophy, Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo (A country is developed by its own people) and dovetails with the country’s desire to attain an upper-middle-class income status by 2030.
President Mnangagwa commissioned the Trabablas Interchange last Friday amid pomp and fanfare as the nation revelled in the brilliance of local talent, which spurs confidence as more interchanges are on the cards.
This US$88 million project, located at the intersection of Simon Mazorodze, Chitungwiza and High Glen roads, is a key infrastructure development aimed at alleviating traffic congestion in southern Harare. It features 15 bridges, in a show of engineering genius by local talent most of whom came from local universities.
Dr Tinashe Manzungu
Analysts and stakeholders in the construction industry have commended the Government for its approach to the infrastructural development model and scoffed at some individuals who sought to cast aspersions on the financing model and the costs around the interchange.
Writing on his X handle, South Africa-based analyst and university lecturer, Mr Kudzai Mutisi, commended the Government for using local engineers.
“By the way, every engineering project is unique, it has unique challenges and unique deliverables. The amount of “earth” moved here, the excavations, the sophisticated foundations (due to unstable ground), paying off affected property owners etc.
You simply can’t compare two construction sites . . . after all, one of the characteristics of a project is that it is unique,” said Mr Mutisi.
“This is one of President Mnangagwa’s signature projects. Lots of experience gained by the engineers, companies and other stakeholders. This is what will make Zimbabwe better and better.”
In an interview, Zimbabwe Builders Contractors Association (ZBCA) president Dr Tinashe Manzungu commended the Government for using local contractors.
Minister Felix Mhona
“Since 2018, coming to 2021, when we had the promulgation of the National Development Strategy 1, there was a deliberate policy to use indigenous contractors, to use local contractors, the Zimbabwean contractor, and this is something that the Government actually kept its word on. You can actually see now that those international contractors that you probably remember to have built Harare or these other towns, 20 or 30 or 40 years ago, they are no longer in the country,” he said.
“The reason is that the Government has taken a position, and this is because of NDS1. Consistent with the thrust of NDS1, you will see that in every sector, where we have the infrastructure and utilities pillar, we are saying that is where we are getting the support from Government.
And it speaks to infrastructure development, construction of mega-projects that we are actually seeing. For example, this kind of project that we now have, the interchange, is a mega-project that was contracted to a category, a contractor who is able to deliver, and who has the capacity. And you may want to know where the capacity is coming from. It is coming from the support that the Government is giving.”
ZBCA chief executive officer Ms Joyline Zindanga said local contractors were doing their best in Zimbabwe in terms of infrastructure development.
“This is history in the making, local contractors are doing great things in Zimbabwe in terms of infrastructure development and we are proud to say that the people who carried out this project are members of the Zimbabwe Building Contractors Association. We would like to applaud the Government for giving us a chance as Zimbabweans to build our own country to the best of our abilities. Look at the interchange, this is a massive project and it’s something that’s never been done in Zimbabwe. So I am also proud to be part of this history that is coming up in our country,” she said.
Commenting on issues to do with quality, Ms Zindaga said when this project started, people were sceptical about the capacity of local contractors.
“All I can say is that the local contractors are now capacitated to do these big projects. So I believe we are able to carry out these projects and this is also testament that our contractors are doing great things. Look at all the other buildings that are in the country, it’s our local contractors who are carrying out these projects. So the capacity and the quality of the workmanship is excellent and I must say we are proud to say that we are able to do these massive projects. So our future is set because our youths as well as women are also partaking in projects of this magnitude,” she said.
Speaking at the commissioning of the Interchange last Friday, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona said President Mnangagwa was walking the talk in his philosophy “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’’ by ensuring that all projects have been completed on time countrywide.
Minister Mhona narrated some of the projects that the Government is currently undertaking and these include the construction of roads, bridges and border posts, among others.
He said in line with the constitutional principles enshrined in the Bill of Rights, President Mnangagwa supported them to ensure that all those who were affected by the construction of the interchange were compensated reasonably and fairly.
“Under your guidance, the relocation and compensation of affected businesses and families became our priority,” he said. Another analyst said Zimbabwe was modernising its infrastructure without the risk of getting into a debt trap.
“The beauty about Zimbabwe’s development model which is circumstantial, is that these infrastructure projects are wholly locally funded meaning Zimbabwe is modernising without the usual debt trap. It might take longer but the model is sustainable, thanks to the hostile environment wrought by foreign sanctions. Zimbabwe is gradually becoming the second best road networked country outside South Africa,” he said.
According to Ovum, one of the South African companies behind the project, the interchange structure itself cost US$65 million.
“The total cost of the project is currently estimated at US$88 million, which is allocated as US$65 million for the interchange structures and US$23 million for temporary detour works, relocation costs and professional fees,” the company was quoted by an online publication as saying.
The Trabablas interchange has brought huge relief to motorists who had been subjected to a choking traffic jam at the old Mbudzi
