Botswana and Zambia rail link could transform Victoria Falls travel

 A planned railway between Botswana and Zambia is moving forward, and while the project is still in the study phase, it already has clear travel implications for one of Southern Africa’s best-known tourism corridors.

According to travelnews.africa, The proposed Mosetse to Kazungula to Livingstone Rail Project was reviewed during a Joint Steering Committee meeting held in Kasane, Botswana, on 1 April 2026. According to the current plan, the route would stretch about 430 kilometres in total. Of that, 365 kilometres would run from Mosetse to Kazungula in Botswana, while the remaining 65 kilometres would continue from Kazungula to Livingstone in Zambia.

For travellers, the route matters because Livingstone is one of the main gateways to Victoria Falls. It also places the line within reach of major tourism areas in the region, including Chobe National Park, Hwange National Park, and the wider Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area.

Why the project matters beyond transport

At first glance, this may sound like a story about freight, logistics, and regional planning. It is that, but it is also more than that. In a part of Africa where border crossings, road transfers, and long travel times often shape the visitor experience, better connectivity can influence how people plan and enjoy a trip.

A rail link between Botswana and Zambia could eventually create a different kind of travel flow through the region. Instead of relying almost entirely on road movement, future visitors may have another way to connect key destinations. That could matter not only for convenience, but also for the experience itself. Rail travel tends to appeal to travellers who enjoy a slower, more scenic journey, especially in places where the landscape is part of the attraction.

A route through a major tourism corridor

This is not a railway proposal cutting through an area with little visitor interest. Kazungula sits near one of the busiest tourism gateways in the region, and Livingstone remains central to travel around Victoria Falls. Add nearby safari destinations and cross-border travel demand, and the project begins to look important from a tourism point of view, not only an infrastructure one.

For travel planners, that creates long-term potential. If the line is eventually built and opened, it could support broader multi-country itineraries linking Botswana and Zambia more smoothly. It could also strengthen travel packages built around safari, scenery, and regional exploration.

The role of Kazungula

Travel between Botswana and Zambia currently depends heavily on road transport, including the Kazungula Bridge crossing over the Zambezi River. That bridge improved movement significantly after it was commissioned in May 2021, helping both freight and passenger traffic in the area.

Even so, road transport remains vulnerable to delays, congestion, and infrastructure pressure. A rail option could help ease some of that demand in the future while improving cargo and passenger movement between the two countries.

Where the project stands now

The latest meeting in Kasane brought together senior government officials from both countries, including representatives from Botswana Railways and Zambia Railways Limited. The committee reviewed progress and gave direction on the next steps needed to move the project forward.

Among the priorities raised were unresolved consultant deliverables, approval of key milestones, and stronger coordination between institutions. Both governments also expressed a desire to see the bankable feasibility study completed as soon as possible, with the Joint Technical Committee tasked with finalising the outstanding studies by the end of 2026.

That means the project is not yet at the construction stage, and no final build timeline has been confirmed. Funding and feasibility work still need to be completed before the next phase can begin.

Why travellers should keep an eye on it

For now, the railway remains a plan. But it is a plan with the potential to shape future travel in a region already known for its mix of wildlife, river landscapes, and cross-border adventure.

If it moves beyond the current study phase, the line could eventually change how visitors connect Botswana and Zambia, especially around Victoria Falls and nearby safari areas. In a region where the journey often matters as much as the destination, that is what makes this project worth watching.

Source: Botswana and Zambia rail link could transform Victoria Falls travel (13/04/2026)

$1.5B Botswana-Zambia Rail Plan Seeks to Reshape Regional Trade

 After years of discussion, the plan for a rail connection between Botswana and Zambia is now entering a critical phase. This segment's development is part of a broader geoeconomic competition among regional corridors.

The Mosetse-Kazungula-Livingstone railway project, which aims to link Zambia with Botswana, is entering a significant phase with the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Turkish company Eksen Group. This agreement provides a framework for collaboration to facilitate the project's planning, preparation, and implementation. This railway could accelerate Southern Africa's regional integration.

Planned over 430 kilometers, the future railway line aims to position both countries as reliable alternatives to trade routes currently dominated by South Africa.

A Strategic Repositioning

The Kazungula Bridge, inaugurated in 2021 and spanning 923 meters, crosses the Zambezi River at the border between Botswana and Zambia. It already serves as a key transit point for road transport in the region. However, its logistics potential remains underused due to a lack of a connected rail network on both sides.

The new corridor, which the two states will co-finance, is expected to complement existing and planned routes in the region. These include the South Africa–Mozambique corridor with extensions into Zimbabwe, or the Beira corridor linking Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe to Mozambique’s ports. There is also the Trans-Kalahari network that aims to connect Namibia with Botswana.

Ultimately, these various rail segments will interlink with lines under development in East Africa. Examples include the Lobito corridor, Tanzania’s Standard Gauge Railway projects with its neighbors Burundi, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia, and those underway between Uganda and Kenya.

Toward a Diversification of Logistics Corridors

Currently, a large share of imports and exports for landlocked Southern African Development Community countries such as Zambia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe still passes through South African ports, especially Durban. However, congestion, rising logistics costs, and recent disruptions linked to internal crises like strikes are prompting these countries to seek more stable alternatives.

Kazungula could thus become a strategic link in redirecting flows eastward to Beira in Mozambique and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, or westward to Walvis Bay in Namibia. It would offer a connected, multimodal, and cross border route. For Botswana’s authorities, the railway is expected to reduce freight transport costs, attract investment, and boost special economic zones.

Zambia aims to secure its mining export routes for copper and cobalt, and reduce its vulnerability to road transport risks. The Kazungula connection will strengthen options toward Asian markets via the Indian Ocean while facilitating intra-regional trade.

Several challenges remain, notably the project’s estimated $1.5 billion cost and its economic viability. According to experts, the project requires a freight volume of 7.5 million tonnes per year to break even, while current road traffic over the bridge stands at 3.1 million tonnes.

Added to this are regulatory harmonization constraints and the need for inter-state coordination. The memorandum of understanding signed with Turkish firm Eksen Group marks a step forward but does not yet guarantee the project’s realization or viability.

Source: $1.5B Botswana-Zambia Rail Plan Seeks to Reshape Regional Trade (29/07/2025)

NRZ to dispose of scrap wagons, coaches

THE National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) has announced plans to dispose of 422 scrap wagons and some decades-old passenger coaches in Bulawayo, Harare and other locations across the country.

The disposal process will include various metals such as copper, steel, cast iron and aluminium, which will be sold through a tender system advertised in the media this week.

NRZ public relations manager, Mr Andrew Kunambura, said 51 decommissioned passenger coaches that were burnt to shells in a raging fire that razed part of the Bulawayo mechanical workshop will not be part of the scrap to be auctioned.

“We are not disposing of any of the decommissioned coaches that were burnt in September 2024. The reason why the NRZ is disposing of some of the old wagons and coaches as scrap is because the property has outlived its life span and can no longer be used commercially,” he said.

“The value of the old wagons and coaches is now only in scrap form.”

Mr Kunambura said the parastatal does not dispose of any of its property that is still commercially usable. In September, a fire broke out at the NRZ’s Bulawayo mechanical workshop and destroyed 51 decommissioned passenger coaches.

The decommissioned passenger coaches were reduced to shells in a suspected veld fire, which took the Bulawayo Fire Brigade over four hours to extinguish.

Part of the property that will be sold as scrap metal by NRZ includes 346 scrap wagons stationed in various locations around the country.

In Bulawayo and Harare, 76 scrap coaches and cabooses will be disposed of. At the Bulawayo mechanical workshop, 244 tonnes of ungraded steel will be sold while five LPG tankers in Zvishavane, Kadoma, Chegutu, Norton and Harare are set to be auctioned.

About 309 tonnes of graded steel will be sold in Bulawayo while 27 wagons will be sold in Dabuka, Gweru. The NRZ also plans to get rid of 1,58 tonnes of copper from its Bulawayo main stores depot while property such as coach generators and coach rotors from the Bulawayo mechanical workshop will be sold in addition to aluminium weighing three tonnes and two tonnes of cast iron from the same site will be disposed of.

Source: NRZ to dispose of scrap wagons, coaches (17/12/24)

Cigarette stub started fire that destroyed decommissioned coaches worth US$40,000 – NRZ

THE National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) has established that a cigarette stub caused an inferno that destroyed decommissioned coaches at its main station in Bulawayo in September.

40 coaches were destroyed in the blaze that engulfed the NRZ workshop with initial reports by the parastatal suggesting foul play.

This incident followed another fire that involved coaches in Harare, raising suspicions of arson attacks.

Appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts, NRZ general manager, Respina Zinyanduko said internal investigations point to a cigarette stub having been the cause of the fire.

“The initial report that I got from loss control as well as the report I got from a commission of inquiry that we set, it constituted of different departments of NRZ has indicated that it could be a fire was as a result of some employees, because we do not allow some people to smoke at work, some employees could have taken shelter in those coaches trying to hide and smoking a bit.

“One of them might have left a stub that was still burning and there was the wind; it then resulted in the spread of fire,” said Zinyanduko.

The decommissioned coaches had exceeded their operational life span and the NRZ was awaiting their disposal as scrap.

Zinyanduko told the Committee that NRZ lost US$40 000 in the value of the coaches as a result of the fire.

“The value that was lost was minimal because we had taken the seats from these coaches and they were fitted to those which were operational. These were more like shells that were parked with the intention to refurbish them in the future or disposing of them.

“The value that was there was on the scrap value of the assets, I examined the coaches one by one myself and they are still in a condition in which we can dispose of them as scrap metal. Those coaches in our books were carrying a value of about US$1,000 each because they were just shells,” said Zinyambuko.

Source: Cigarette stub started fire that destroyed decommissioned coaches worth US$40,000  – NRZ (30/10/24)

After incurring losses for years, NRZ in process of cancelling “toxic” 90s joint venture with Landela Safaris

 NATIONAL Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) is in the process of terminating a joint venture agreement with Landela Safaris after the parastatal suffered losses during the deal.

NRZ entered into a joint venture with Landela Safaris to lease its prime land in Victoria Falls in 1998.

According to the agreement, Landela Safaris would construct two houses and lodges, along with a commercial centre being developed on the land.

NRZ general manager, Respina Zinyambuko told the Public Accounts Committee Monday that the parastatal may have been prejudiced in the joint venture.

“What we have done is we wanted them to be compelled to submit the financials then we compare what we have so that at least we can see the potential prejudice. In that JV NRZ has 26 percent so it is a minority shareholder,” said Zinyambuko.

Zinyambuko told the Committee that NRZ are in the process of terminating the agreement which is currently under arbitration.

“We have realized that JVs will be very difficult for us while concentrating on our operations as NRZ people can overstate the operational costs and everything and you end up with nothing.

“So we have revisited all these JVs and some we have terminated and opted for outright lease. This one we are terminating the joint venture because we have realized we are not getting anything. Instead, we are opting for this other arrangement,” said Zinyambuko.

The national railway operator has been reportedly losing funds after years of mismanagement of its assets portfolio.

The management and board are making efforts to plug in the losses which will see the parastatal gaining profits from its ventures.

NRZ board chairperson Mike Madiro told the PAC committee that the Landela Safari deal has become “toxic”.

“What we have learnt is there were serious governance issues with this joint venture to the extent that there were no board meetings.

“The relationship between NRZ and the other parties was ‘toxic’ to the extent that when the management was trying to convene the board the other parties were refusing,” said Madiro.

Source: After incurring losses for years, NRZ in process of cancelling “toxic” 90s joint venture with Landela Safaris (29/10/24)

NRZ struggles to manage properties

 THE National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) is losing potential revenue, estimated in tens of thousands of dollars, due to its inability to effectively control and manage its vast properties across the country.

The parastatal is struggling with the challenge of securing and leveraging its extensive real estate assets, which are currently underutilised or mismanaged.

The properties, scattered throughout the country represent a substantial potential revenue stream that NRZ has not been able to fully capitalise on.

The lack of control and proper management over these assets is impacting the organisation’s financial stability and its ability to invest in crucial railway infrastructure and operations.

Effective management and strategic utilisation of these assets could provide a significant boost to the parastatal’s revenue, helping to address its financial challenges.

NRZ is arguably the richest State-owned enterprise in the country in terms of immovable assets.

Last year NRZ formed an asset verification committee comprising its various departments to identify and verify assets after some of its properties were not being accounted for.

Briefing the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development during a tour of the organisation’s properties in Victoria Falls last Friday, NRZ general manager Ms Respina Zinyanduko said they managed to recover several properties along the Gwanda railway line and four houses in Bulawayo.

In Victoria Falls, besides vast pieces of land and properties along the railway line, NRZ jointly owns the Victoria Falls Hotel and Victoria Falls Bridge with Zambia Railways through Emerged Railways Properties.

The NRZ also owns Landela Complex, a property that has three blocks that house several shops among other businesses in the tourism sector.

The property is one of the assets NRZ is struggling to repossess after leasing it out to Landela Safari Adventure (Pvt) Limited in 2007.

NRZ initially leased the property to Landela Safari and later amended it into a joint venture.

The lease and joint venture agreement expired last year but NRZ has been failing to repossess the property after Landela Safari owner, Mr Steward Cranswick took the matter to the High Court where it is still pending.

Landela Complex also runs Landela Lodge in Masue. In 2016, the company made headlines after the owners erected a fence on part of Chamabondo Forest in what is now being developed into Masue City by the Government.

Ms Zinyanduko told the Portfolio Committee that because of the dispute over the Landela Complex, NRZ did not renew the lease it entered with the safari company upon its expiry last November.

“The lease was converted into a joint venture and ever since the NRZ has not been paid. The joint venture agreement and lease expired in November last year and NRZ tried on different occasions to engage Landela who did not attend board meetings,” she said.

“We are going for arbitration, so this is one of the challenges we have.”
Ms Zinyanduko said given the issue is still before the courts, she could not give more details.

“We realised that NRZ has a lot of properties, and some of them are in the asset register, but could not account who exactly is on the asset. We formed a joint committee which has so far done the southern region and we have recovered quite a lot of properties,” she said.

“Some of them were in private hands for some time and we are glad that we have managed to recover a lot of them in Gwanda line and also Bulawayo where we recovered four houses that were leased a long time ago by employees who then retired and never surrendered the assets.”

NRZ had a similar agreement with Hyde Safaries at Kennedy Annex Farm, which it has since revised and it is now getting rentals.

“These are lessons learnt that where we don’t have control it doesn’t work. Going forward we are amending these joint ventures,” Ms Zinyanduko told the committee.

The Portfolio Committee chairperson, Cde Knowledge Kaitano expressed concern over the development.

“We have realised that NRZ has vast assets which can provide a lot of capital injection that is required to revitalise the company. However, we have been told that certain properties have been rented for over 25 years by individuals who are getting rentals from properties which are not theirs,” he said.

“We have urged NRZ to ensure that they recover all the assets because they are a good source of capital injection into the revitalisation of the company. We want NRZ to be an enabler of economic activity that contributes to the growth of our economy, development of our people and realisation of an upper-middle -income by 2030.”

Source: NRZ struggles to manage properties (25th July 2024)

NRZ defeated in battle for Victoria Falls complex

THE High Court has ordered the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) to surrender rentals collected from tenants at a complex in Victoria Falls following a protracted court battle with  Landela Safari Adventure (PVT) Limited.

Landela had filed a spoliatory and interdict relief before the High Court following the dispute with NRZ.

The safari operator cited NRZ, The Victoria Falls Trading Post (Private) Limited, Dedication Collections (Private) Limited and Victoria Falls Adventures (Private) Limited as respondents.

In his ruling, High Court judge Justice Siyabona Musithu said he found nothing in the lease agreement that specifically precluded the court from granting the relief that was being sought by Landela.

“The court finds the preliminary point devoid of merit and it is accordingly dismissed.  The applicant (Landela) was the majority shareholder in the second respondent (Victoria Falls Trading Post) and had exercised exclusive control of the entity for the past 20 years. The first respondent (NRZ) was a minority shareholder,” he said.

Justice Musithu also ruled that Landela had an interest in the affairs of the NRZ and could not stand by while matters deteriorate because of its fights with a fellow shareholder.

He said the tenants’ decision to pay  rentals as dictated by NRZ was in breach of the contract, adding that Landela could sue them.

“The fact that NRZ confirmed receiving rentals from some of the tenants, yet it accepts the existence of a lease agreement between the tenants and the second respondent is quite revealing,” he said.

The judge also called for the parties to respect the integrity of the arbitral process they submitted in the agreement.

Landela and the NRZ entered into a joint venture arrangement involving the affairs of The Victoria Falls Trading Post, Dedication Collections and Victoria Falls Adventure.

According to court papers, NRZ owns immovable properties in Victoria Falls and in terms of the agreement signed on November 27, 1998, the railway operator leased the properties to Landela.

The safari operator agreed to construct three houses and two lodges at its expense as consideration for the lease of the properties. 

The operator also agreed to develop a commercial centre on the same land with the NRZ as a development partner which entailed the acquisition of shares in The Victoria Falls Trading Post.

The arrangement gave birth to the Victoria Falls Trading Post in which the parties were the only shareholders.

The properties were leased to the company in terms of an agreement signed between the parties on October 8, 1999.

The lease had a tenure of eight years from the date of signing and there was an option to renew the lease for a maximum of two further periods of eight years and four months.

The commercial structures, which were set up by Landela, were to be rented out to third parties with parties to the agreement sharing the rental income at agreed ratios.

However, a dispute arose between the parties about the lease and shareholders agreement which was referred to arbitration by NRZ in terms of the constitutive documents.

Landela accused the NRZ of taking the law into its hands and locking the Victoria Falls Trading Post out of the administrative block at the commercial centre. 

The NRZ allegedly threatened to lock out some tenants from the premises while signing lease agreements with other tenants. Landela argued that NRZ,’s locking out of the Victoria Falls Trading Post, was contrary to the rule of law while undermining the lease, joint venture and the shareholder agreement.

It further argued that NRZ's conduct negated the arbitration proceedings which were underway, adding that it had bright prospects of success in the arbitration proceedings.

However, in its opposing papers, NRZ raised preliminary issues of locus standi, adding that Landela was never in possession of the premises. NRZ argued that the Victoria Falls Trading Post was given possession of two offices which it is occupying.

It also denied locking out the tenants arguing that the application for spoliation and interdict was a waste of time and misplaced.

Source: NRZ defeated in battle for Victoria Falls complexNRZ defeated in battle for Victoria Falls complex (30/04/24)

Iconic Victoria Falls bridge may fail soon

 The Victoria Falls Bridge — connecting Zimbabwe and Zambia — has outlived its lifespan and needs to be urgently reconstructed to avert potential structural failures.

Built about 112 years ago, the bridge has outlived its lifespan by 12 years and the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe says it is working with Zambian authorities to fund the reconstruction at a high level estimate cots of $50 million.

This would be done through Emerged Railways Properties, which operates the bridge.
The Victoria Falls Bridge was constructed in 1905 at the height of British penetration of Northern and Southern Rhodesia. The brainchild of Cecil Rhodes, the bridge was designed by George Andrew Hobson. It crosses the Zambezi River and the Victoria Falls. The Zambezi River is a border separating Zimbabwe from Zambia and the bridge links the two countries.

Its construction took 14 months to construct and was completed on 11 April 1905.
The bridge has the only rail link between Zambia and Zimbabwe and also has a 46-tonne carrying roadway and a pedestrian walkway. Scheduled maintenance of the bridge is undertaken by the National Railways of Zimbabwe as contracted by ERP.

According to the IDBZ, approximately $1 million will be needed for the feasibility study.
Some engineers who spoke to Business Weekly said while the bridge had outlived its lifespan, it might be early to be deemed unfit to bear the weight of heavy loads.

Source: Iconic Victoria Falls bridge may fail soon (09/03/2018)

Zimbabwe, Zambia struggle to reclaim assets in SA

 ZIMBABWE and Zambia are struggling to reclaim legacy indivisible assets including vast mineral rights covering close to two million hectares of land in South Africa left to them by the former coloniser, Cecil John Rhodes.

Rhodes, using the British South Africa Company, (BSAC) colonised Zambia and Zimbabwe in 1888 and 1890 respectively before the two neighbours became known as Northern and Southern Rhodesia as they formed a Federation.

The Cape government awarded Rhodes’ company Bechuanaland Railway Company Limited, vast stretches of land to facilitate the construction of the railwayline in present day South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

On June 1, 1899 Bechuanaland Railway Company changed name to Rhodesia Railways Limited which managed to retain ownership of mineral rights in South Africa excluding land rights.

The mineral rights covered an area in excess of 1,7 million hectares over 523 farms and in the 1930s Rhodes sold some of his land and retained mineral rights in South Africa.

Rhodesia Railways became Zimbabwe-Zambia Pvt Ltd (Ziza) in 1990.

The Rhodes Trust left the mineral rights in equal shares to modern Zimbabwe and Zambia but the process of transferring mineral rights is not yet complete.

There are 1 660 000ha of mineral rights in North West and Northern Cape provinces in South Africa following the recent loss of 40 000ha to Aquila through a Constitutional Court judgment (CCT08/18) in South Africa.

The other indivisible assets left by the Trust include the Victoria Falls Hotel and the Victoria Falls Bridge.

There are also funds locked in the defunct Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) while Bon Accord Hotel was sold to Zambia Government and Wankie Hotel to a private investor.

Zimbabwe and Zambia jointly incorporated the Emerged Railways Properties (ERP) (PVT) LTD in 1997 to manage the indivisible assets through the Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) and National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ). Ziza is a subsidiary of ERP, whose investment and property manager’s main offices are in Victoria Falls and another in Livingstone, Zambia.

The South African Government in 2005 enacted the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act which sought to recognise that mineral resources are common heritage of all South Africans and collectively belong to all the people of South Africa under the framework of the use-it-or-lose-it/use-it-and-keep-it principle hence the ERP became incapacitated to exploit its mineral interests in the neighbouring country.

Through a Memorandum of Understanding based on this background, Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa formed a company called Pan African Minerals Development Company (PMDC) to hold and exploit the mineral rights.

Each government signed a shareholder’s agreement with each holding 33,3 percent and the Zimbabwe and Zambia shares are held through ERP while those for South Africa are held by Africa Exploration Mining and Finance Corporation (AEMFC).

South Africa was mandated to provide PAMDC board chair while Zimbabwe and Zambia rotate the chief executive position.

There have been numerous problems in the operations of PAMDC which last held a Council of Ministers meeting in 2014 while South Africa resigned as board chair in 2017 creating governance challenges as no decisions can be validated without a board chair.

PAMDC faces dire financial constraints due to non-contributions by shareholders and governments while there is risk of losing more land due to legal suits, illegal exploration and mining that could lead to further losses.

The Council of Ministers held a meeting in Livingstone, Zambia on Saturday chaired by Zimbabwe’s Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister Felix Mhona and his counterpart Mutotwe Kafwaya who is Zambia’s Transport and Communication Minister and are both co-chairs.

The meeting was also attended by National Railways of Zimbabwe Board chair Advocate Martin Dinha and his ZRL counterpart Dr Wala Chabula and NRZ acting general manager Mrs Restina Zinyanduko, who together with ZRL managing director Mr Christopher Musonda are ERP co-board chairpersons.

It was meant to discuss operations of ERP and status of Pan African Minerals Development Company (PMDC) so that the Ministers receive and consider reports, with a communique to be submitted to both countries’ principals.

Speaking at the meeting, Minister Mhona who is a co-chair said there is a need to find a lasting solution to governance, cooperation and viability challenges which have confronted PMDC.

He pledged Government’s commitment to operations of ERP, adding that he had already engaged President Mnangagwa on the issue.

“This convocation is an eloquent testament that our two sister countries are totally dedicated to the cause of infrastructure development. We have moved together on a number of projects anchored on our shared vision of transforming our economies to upper middle-income status by 2030 and the opportunity offered by the ERP creates room for scaling up our further cooperation in areas of infrastructure.

“Through this participation let us scale up our government-to-government cooperation in infrastructure development and deepen people to people relations as these are catalysts for stronger relations between the two countries,” he said.

While the PAMDC challenges are historic, Minister Mhona said the current governments could be the generation to unlock business opportunities that lie hidden in the mineral claims

“While the complexities of unlocking value from the vast mineral resources and interest in PAMDC are apparent, we should not lose sight of the cardinal work ethic which should be invested towards finding a lasting solution to the challenges.

“The four-tier approach which is leveraged on engagement of our South African counterparts and the need to curve out a brilliant investment plan for the PAMDC should be supported by a time bound implementation matrix. Now that we have engaged as Zambia and Zimbabwe, we will use that as a springboard of our immediate future actions to unlock the value that resides in PAMDC,” added Minister Mhona.

His Zambian counterpart said there was need to move with speed.

The success of PAMDC is based on mutual and beneficial cooperation of the three countries.

The meeting resolved that a viable investment framework should immediately be adopted and implemented as a strategic turnaround strategy of PAMDC and that financial constraints emanating from non-contributions by shareholders and governments should be addressed.

It was also resolved that South Africa should appoint a chair to the PAMDC board and director to fill positions which have been vacant for a long time making it difficult to hold meetings and the board should meet quarterly while the Council of Ministers should immediately resume on an annual basis.

The two co-chair ministers should engage their South African counterparts through diplomatic protocol before June 15 and if the engagement does not yield desired results by the given timelines, the two ministers shall then seek the intervention of the two respective Presidents to engage their South African counterpart on the matter.

Source: Zimbabwe, Zambia struggle to reclaim assets in SA (10/05/2011)