eBusiness Weekly
Golden Sibanda
Road works to lay a tarmac surface for the easy accessibility of Kanyemba, a border village at the northern-most tip of Zimbabwe soon to become a town, have started in earnest as Government pushes to unlock the area’s innate massive economic potential.
Despite being predominantly rural community, Kanyemba has as yet untapped potential to become a major tourist destination and regional logistical hub with massive economic spin-offs for Zimbabwe. Tucked away as an outlier in the north at the confluence of Zambezi and Luangwa Rivers where Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique meet, forming a boundary corner, Kanyemba is home to pristine wild life, including the big five game animals that prowl the expansive valley along the mighty Zambezi River.
The area’s limitless potential also lies in the abundance of fishery and tourism activities on or along the Zambezi River while Kanyemba’s strategic location provides a potential gateway into central and North Africa, which would cut the distance by 650 kilometres.
Further, the abundance of water also renders Kanyemba a suitable location for irrigation fed agriculture activities while the swathes of flat Zambezi valley plains make it strategic for solar power generation.
In essence, the area has limitless latent potential that can transform the face of the community and that of Zimbabwe.
There also is huge potential for growing trade between Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique; three countries that share borders on one spot through Kanyemba, Luangwa in Zambia and Zumbo in Mozambique.
Trade is already happening frenetically but at micro and largely informal level due to poor roads and port infrastructure, which cannot support movement of bulk cargo across the borders, especially crossing into Zambia and further north of Africa.
Notably too, the human traffic and cargo movement to cross crocodile infested Zambezi, is by use of rudimentary or unsophisticated canoes that pose immeasurable danger if the unfortunate happens.
And without investment in the key infrastructure Kanyemba could remain largely a backwoods settlement inhabited by mostly impoverished residents, also given that the area is not too good for rain fed agriculture.
The distance with mainland Zimbabwe commercial service centres also means Kanyemba community, shunned by transport operators due to the poor accessibility, find it more convenient and economic to trade with mostly neighbouring Zambia but also Mozambique.
Government though is working on grand plan to develop and transform the area into a town by 2023; potentially making it the first place to be accorded urban status before a single brick has been laid down.
While there already is a general land use plan for Mbire, the rural district under which Kanyemba falls, a land utilisation map specifically for the planned new town is still at the concept stake, but should be ready soon.
Research is also reportedly underway for the Y-Bridge that should start as single structure at the Zimbabwean end before branching sideways into Zambia westwards and Mozambique to east of the bridge.
A high powered Government delegation led by Vice President Constantine Chiwenga, which visited Kanyemba about a month ago, noted a number of issues limiting the area’s potential and pledged to intervene.
These included rough dust road that is almost untrafficable on some sections, and the absence of a bridge to carry people and traffic to or from Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique. A pontoon (large boat) meant to temporary address this challenge is yet to be deployed. Mbire Rural District Council chief executive Claudius Majaya, told this publication during an interview following a visit to the area that a 5,5 kilometre stretch from Mahuwe towards Mushumbi pools had been tarred.
Majaya said some funding had been allocated, which will see the tarred patch of the road stretching to 40 kilometres from Mahuwe, about 245 kilometres to Kanyemba, to Angwa Bridge just after Mushumbi pools.
“Government has already made a commitment to work on our Mahuwe-Kanyemba Road, in fact its Harare-Kanyemba Road because indications are that it is also going to affect even Mvurwi, Mazowe and Guruve.
“With particular reference to our own district, we expect the Government to work on 40 kilometres as budget allocation for 2020; so this is likely going to take us to Angwa.
“They are starting from Mahuwe. The indication that we have made to Government is that we want to confer Kanyemba with town status in 2023; assurance is in four years time, the tarred road should be hitting Kanyemba, from now that will be three years,” Majaya said.
