Source: Forbes Border offices to be demolished – DailyNews Live
Farayi Machamire 7 June 2017
HARARE – Operations at Forbes Border Post in Mutare will be interrupted in
the coming weeks to pave way for the construction of a new road.
This comes after the Manicaland Provincial office gave border officials a
two-week ultimatum to vacate office buildings.
The offices at one of the country’s busiest ports of entry are manned by
officials from Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and Immigration, with the
demolitions likely to cause loss of revenue.
But Manicaland provincial road engineer Arnold Mutungwazi insists it will
help the flow of traffic and make it easier to implement some of the
border management systems.
“Government position is to rehabilitee the road for 800 metres, the
current road that is there is not suitable for a border post,” Mutungwazi
told the Daily News yesterday.
He added that it was important to accelerate the rebuilding of the border
post to meet modern standards.
“We are widening the road in line with international best practise. It’s
being widened by 14 metres.
“Each road will have servitude of 70 metres, so the offices are in the
road servitude.”
Mutungwazi said besides road construction, the offices were illegal
structures as they had been built outside the city building by-laws.
He added that the concerned officials had been advised to seek an
alternative from the Mutare Rural District Council (MRDC).
He, however, could not be drawn into giving the cost of constructing the
road.
Efforts to get a comment from the MRDC were fruitless as they kept
referring all questions to the Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister
Mandiitawepi Chimene.
Mutare Mayor Tatenda Nhamarare also said he was not ready to comment on
the matter as he was yet to have full details.
Zimra spokesperson Canisio Mudzimu had not yet responded to questions sent
to him at the time of going to print.
Forbes Border Post joins Zimbabwe and its eastern neighbour Mozambique and
has become one of the country’s busiest entry ports.
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