Remarks by Hon F.T. Mhona on the occassion of the commissioning of Kopa-Jopa Road in Chimanimani

REMARKS BY:

MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT, HON. F. T. MHONA (MP)

ON THE OCCASION OF THE

COMMISSIONING OF KOPA-JOPA ROAD

IN

CHIMANIMANI, MANICALAND PROVINCE

10 NOVEMBER, 2021

Salutations

Thank you Director of Ceremonies;

Your Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde. Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa;

Vice President of the Republic Of Zimbabwe and Minister of Health and Child Care, Hon. Gen. (Retd) Dr. C. G. D. N. Chiwenga;

Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Manicaland Province, Hon. N. Matsikenyeri;

Second Secretary and Vice President of the Ruling Party ZANU PF, Col (Retd) Cde. K. C. D. Mohadi;

ZANU PF Chairman and Minister of Defence and War Veterans Affairs, Hon. O. C. Z. Muchinguri- Kashiri;

Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Hon. J. G. Moyo;

Other Honourable Ministers and Deputy Ministers here present;

Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet and other Permanent Secretaries here present;

Honourable Members of Parliament

Senior Government officials;

Our traditional leadership led by Chief Muusha;

The Contractor, Bitumen World Private Limited;

Captains of the Construction Industry;

Members of the Ruling Party ZANU PF;

Members of the Media Fratenity;

Distinguished Guests;

Ladies and Gentlemen.

It gives me great pleasure to deliver my remarks at auspicious occasion of the commissioning of Kopa-Jopa Road, a project undertaken under the auspices of disaster recovery after the devastating effects of Tropical Cyclone Idai. This project indeed attests the commitment by the Government of the Second Republic, led by His Excellency the President, Cde. Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, to continually improve the livelihoods of Zimbabweans through infrastructure development in the quest to attain an Empowered and Prosperous Upper-Middle-Income Society by 2030.

Your Excellency Sir, the completion of this project restores connectivity between rural Chimanimani and Chipinge town for access to health and other services, and re-establishes the direct link between farms around the Rusitu Valley area and the markets for fresh farm produce in Chipinge, Birchenough Bridge and beyond. It draws greater significance from the fact that your Government is handing back to the community an improved road infrastructure that allows for the seamless flow of traffic and cost effective transportation, premised on the ‘build-back-better’ principle.

The Kopa-Jopa Road Project saw the construction of a total of twenty-three (23) kilometres of wide surfaced road, including the upgrading of four (4) bridges from single lane low-level standard to double lane high-level standard. The project was completed in fourteen (14) months between June 2020 and September 2021, at a total cost of one billion one hundred and twenty-eight million three hundred and thirty-eight thousand three hundred and twenty-five Zimbabwe Dollars (ZW$ 1,128,338,325.00). The contractor on the project was Bitumen World Private Limited.

Ladies and gentlemen, this achievement cannot be celebrated without due acknowledgement of the efforts of my predecessor, the late Cde Joel Biggie Matiza, who laid the foundation upon which today’s success rests. It was under his leadership that the Ministry embarked on this project under Cyclone Idai Restoration Works, among a host of other projects undertaken by Government to redress the damage to road infrastructure caused by Cyclone Idai. May his soul continue to rest in eternal peace.

It is common knowledge, your Excellency Sir, that a poor road network undermines the potential of the road transport system to contribute meaningfully to economic development. It is imperative therefore, that my Ministry’s efforts in contributing to the Infrastructure and Utilities Pillar of Vision 2030 be driven from a road development and rehabilitation perspective. Accordingly, the successful completion of the Kopa-Jopa Road Project is against a backdrop of a broader Emergency Roads Rehabilitation Programme that you launched earlier this year, which programme continues to make strides in restoring and improving road infrastructure towards the successful realisation of Vision 2030.

Your Excellency Sir, your vision in the leadership of this country is yielding positive results as evidenced by significant success stories in various sectors of the economy. The transport sector, being a key enabler of the same, is a proud beneficiary of your infrastructure development thrust and the successful completion of this project bears witness to your Government’s commitment to the continuous development of this country.

Allow me to conclude by saying that while today we take chance to celebrate this achievement, we remain cognisant of our duty to continue performing and contributing to national growth and development. Our knowledge of this obligation and the assurance we find in your leadership Your Excellency Sir, gives us strength to face each day with renewed hope that under your guidance, we can do it.

With that, I humbly submit. Thank you.