HARARE, Apr. 27 (NewsDay Live) — Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister Felix Mhona has commissioned the Manyame Bridge along the Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway, in a move aimed at reinforcing Zimbabwe’s role as a strategic transit hub on southern Africa’s busiest trade corridor despite tight financing conditions.
The bridge lies on the north-south corridor, a vital route linking South Africa with markets in Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi.
Authorities say the upgrade forms part of a wider infrastructure drive to reduce logistical bottlenecks and unlock regional trade flows.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Mhona described the project as a strategic investment in regional connectivity.
“This is one of the projects where we are talking about connectivity,” he said. “Bridges are there to bridge geographical gaps and this is the north-south corridor where we are moving south to South Africa, north to Zambia, the DRC and Malawi.”
The Harare-Beitbridge highway carries the bulk of Zimbabwe’s cross-border traffic and remains a lifeline for regional commerce, moving minerals, agricultural exports, fuel and manufactured goods.
However, ageing infrastructure along the route has long increased transport costs and slowed cargo movement, weakening competitiveness.
Mhona said the new bridge would ease pressure on a key stretch of the corridor while advancing Zimbabwe’s ambition to become a preferred regional transit route.
- 340km of Harare-B/bridge highway revamp complete
- Airports Company strikes mega hotel deal
- Chinese chrome smelters wreak havoc on Gweru’s roads
- 340km of Harare-B/bridge highway revamp complete
Keep Reading
“The idea is to enhance trade, enhance the movement of people, and ensure connectivity,” he said. “As a country we are strategically positioned, and this infrastructure will make us a favoured destination.”
Government has in recent years accelerated road and bridge rehabilitation works along the corridor, positioning infrastructure as central to economic recovery and regional integration.
The strategy also reflects efforts to leverage Zimbabwe’s geographic location to capture transit traffic and related revenues.
Yet the push comes amid constrained access to international capital markets, with Zimbabwe still largely shut out of concessional financing due to unresolved debt arrears. Authorities have therefore relied heavily on domestic funding sources, including toll revenues and state-led investment, to sustain upgrades.
The completion of Manyame Bridge marks incremental progress in addressing infrastructure gaps that have weighed on trade efficiency. For transport operators, improvements along the route could mean shorter transit times and lower operating costs, especially for landlocked economies further north.
Itayi Ndudzo said the bridge would significantly improve traffic flow and business efficiency along the corridor.
“You realise that time is money and business requires convenience and smooth flow of traffic for transactions to be expedited,” he said.
“We are very happy that this bridge complements the already existing Trabablas Interchange, which has helped ease congestion and created convenience for the travelling public and for those moving goods from South Africa to Harare and beyond.”
Zimbabwe’s position at the crossroads of regional trade routes has long been cited as a structural advantage. The challenge for policymakers remains converting that geographic edge into sustained economic gains through long-term infrastructure investment.
