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Patrick Chitumba, patrick.chitumba@chronicle.co.zw
AFTER successfully hosting the inaugural SADC Regional Construction Summit, Zimbabwe Building Contractors Association (ZBCA) president, Dr Tinashe Manzungu, has revealed ambitious plans for the sector to establish itself as a major player in the region.
This vision aligns with the industry’s broader objective of bolstering Zimbabwe’s economic growth and development.
Zimbabwe’s construction industry is rapidly expanding, thanks in part to the Government’s critical support of industry players.
Dr Manzungu underlined the positive momentum that propelled the construction sector at the recent SADC Regional Construction Summit in Victoria Falls, which boasted overwhelming attendance and hype.
“As ZBCA, we are coming from hosting an important summit on infrastructure development for the country and SADC at large. This was not an ordinary conference we have been having since 1985, but it turned out to be the inaugural Regional Construction Summit involving 16 SADC-member states,” he said.
Dr Manzungu announced plans to establish a unified regional bloc focused on infrastructure development, aligning with the vision of creating a prosperous Southern Africa.
This initiative will be integrated into Agenda 2063, contributing to Africa’s Gross Domestic Product.
Furthermore, SADC will collaborate with Comesa and ECA through a tripartite agreement, expanding the construction industry’s reach across regions.
“SADC countries will cascade this issue to Agenda 2063 where you will see us feeding into the Gross Domestic Product of Africa. We are also going to be collaborating with SADC, Comesa and ECA through a tripartite agreement as the construction industry spreads its tentacles to other regions,” he said.
He noted that the importance of working together as SADC contractors is to see the region developing a construction method that is world-class, modern, and competitive globally.
“We are talking of roads, for example. All our roads in SADC must be compliant with SADC standards. We are also looking at power-sharing agreements as SADC countries. For example, the sharing of water bodies, as Zimbabwe is one of the countries with many dams in SADC.
“We have the Limpopo River, and South Africa cannot build a dam on their side, but as Zimbabwe, we can build a dam and feed South Africa. So those are infrastructure developments that we can do if we work together. Just recently, Zimbabwe and Zambia had an energy project that shows collaboration between Zimbabwe and Zambia in terms of energy production,” he said.
Dr Manzungu highlighted that the recent Summit explored potential development areas, including water projects connected to the Zambezi River. He emphasised the importance of co-operation among countries sharing the Zambezi River, citing the existing water-sharing movement. By coming together as the SADC construction industry, they can tackle these critical issues.
“We have a water-sharing movement involving these countries that share the Zambezi River. These are issues that we can come up with if we gather as the construction industry of SADC.
“The Government has declared that not all projects can be funded by the Treasury, but there are also PPPs to partner the contractors and clients who can be ministries or Government departments. We are the implementers, and we need to work together with Governments. ZBCA and Zida during the summit agreed to make sure members know the projects at hand and ensure the investors meet the rightful contractors,” he said.
He stressed the significance of collaboration between the private sector and Zida in driving economic growth.
“This partnership will yield substantial benefits, including employment creation, which is a crucial catalyst for economic development,” he said.
He highlighted the importance of infrastructure development in attracting investors, noting that investors are drawn to countries with well-developed infrastructure, such as roads, water, and power. He termed these as “enablers” of economic development.
“We commend the Second Republic for prioritising infrastructure development as infrastructure is a key factor in calculating the country’s balance sheet. We are talking about employment creation that ignites economic development. Infrastructure development is very key to the development of the nation.
“When investors see infrastructure, roads, water, and power, they see what we call enablers to economic development. That is how we can lure investors to the country.”
The Regional Summit hosted by ZBCA was held under the theme “Leveraging Investment in Infrastructure as a Catalyst for Economic Growth”.
ZBCA was established in 1985 as a non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering emerging building contractors across various sectors.
“Our mission is crystal clear: to promote, empower, and capacitate our growing membership while advocating for equity, fairness, and justice within the construction sector,” he said.
Dr Manzungu said in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), they are committed to fostering partnerships that empower local contractors, drive economic growth, and enhance the socio-economic fabric of communities.
“We align ourselves with our country’s vision of becoming an empowered upper-middle-income economy by 2030. We recognise that our role is pivotal. The construction industry not only generates 25-30 percent of national employment but it’s also a key enabler in achieving NDS1 targets,” he said.
Dr Manzungu said more than 7 000 projects have been implemented, and about 5 000 have been officially commissioned since 2018.
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