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Nqobile Bhebhe, nqobile.bhebhe@chronicle.co.zw
THE construction industry is crucial for implementing the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Industrialisation Agenda, which aims to establish the region as a sustainable industrial hub and a unified construction sector that will help address the infrastructure deficit left by former colonisers.
The deficit continues to be a significant barrier to economic growth within the region.
Regional infrastructure development broadens markets and boosts economic opportunities, is essential for sustaining growth, trade, and investment, while also aiding in poverty reduction and improving social conditions.
The importance of infrastructure as an enabler of industrialisation and trade, its ability to create jobs, stimulating investment and improving infrastructure is widely acknowledged in regional, continental and international policy instruments.
Several programmes and strategies are in place to improve infrastructure as an anchor for sustainable transformation, through enhanced trade competitiveness.
To accomplish these goals, member states must present a united front.
During the inaugural Contractors Association Regional Summit in Victoria Falls recently, Vice-President Dr Constantino Chiwenga highlighted the importance of unity among member states to regional construction leaders.
“There is no substitute to the unification of the region’s construction industry. Unification is a valuable panacea of unlocking our collective potential and it reinforces the empowerment of our SADC community,” said Dr Chiwenga.
“The construction industry stands as one of the key underpinning enablers for the full realisation of the SADC Industrialisation Agenda which will transform the region into a vibrant and sustainable industrial hub.”
The summit was held under the theme, “Leveraging investment in infrastructure as a catalyst for economic growth”.
Dr Chiwenga said the theme dovetails well with the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap on agenda 2015-2065 and Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 of becoming an Upper-Middle Income Economy by 2030.
He told delegates that Zimbabwe is well alive and strong bonds in construction are built by the dictum, “Brick upon brick”, and such synergies should define and strengthen the region’s collaboration particularly within the construction industry.
He said an integrated construction industry will enable the region to address the infrastructure deficit that was deliberately left by former colonisers and it remains one of the major hindrances to the region’s economic growth.
“Collaboration and working together is key to the development of world-class infrastructure that supports industrial development, trade and economic integration. Moreover, a strong construction industry will stimulate great innovations, local economies and improve the living standards for millions of people across the entire SADC region.”
Dr Chiwenga noted that industrialisation has been at the centre of SADC regional development since the 34th SADC Summit which was held in Victoria Falls in August 2014.
The Summit led to the adoption of the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap 2015-2063, which is an inclusive long-term plan for modernisation and economic transformation.
The SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap 2015-2063 is a long-term perspective, aligned to national, regional, continental and international dimensions.
The strategy recognises that for trade liberalisation to contribute to sustainable and equitable development, and thus to poverty reduction, it must be complemented by the requisite capacities to produce, and to trade effectively and efficiently.
The strategy is anchored on three pillars namely; industrialisation as champion of economic and technological transformation; competitiveness as an active process to move from comparative advantage to competitive advantage; and regional integration and geography as the context for industrial development and economic prosperity.
Added Dr Chiwenga: “The expertise of contractors, engineers, technicians, architects, to name a few, is crucial to the attainment of this goal and this should enable substantive and sustained economic development to raise the living standards for more than 390 million inhabitants of the region. Zimbabwe has embraced the 2015-2063 Industrialisation Agenda under its mantra of ‘Leaving no place and no person behind.’”
Therefore, the SADC bloc can propel its own development if member states collaborate to achieve maximum results, he noted.
“With Zimbabwe aboard this train, the initiative is expected to create more job opportunities, especially for the youth and improve the regions average unemployment rate which has fluctuated between 10,2 percent and 11,3 percent in the last decade.”
He said rapid innovation, technological advancement and use of smart energy is key to the development of the industry as guided by the SADC Industrial Strategy 2015-2065 Roadmap.
“I call upon greater cooperation and synergies in construction by us as the SADC region and within us as Zimbabwe, noting that no industrialisation or economic development can be attained without the construction industry.”
Giving a state of the construction industry report at the same inaugural meeting, Zimbabwe Building Contractors Association (ZBCA) president, Dr Tinashe Manzungu also highlighted the importance of region synergies.
“We must strengthen regional integration and cooperation. By harmonising our policies and regulations, we can attract more investment and promote sustainable economic growth. Together, we can create a seamless environment for the execution of infrastructure projects, facilitating an easier pathway for local contractors to engage in both Government and private initiatives.
“This has led ZBCA to collaborate with sister organisations like Master Builders South Africa and Zambia National Association, among other SADC countries that we are finalising with,” said Dr Manzungu.
ZBCA is a non-profit national organisation established in 1985 to represent emergent building contractors in various fields.
Dr Manzungu highlighted to delegates that since 2018, over 7 000 projects have been implemented, and more than 5 000 have been officially commissioned in Zimbabwe.
Significant improvements have also been made in the road infrastructure with over 33 000 kilometres completed.
“This achievement is particularly important as we aim to complete ongoing projects that continue to bolster our national infrastructure.
“Our collective target remains ambitious, and we recognise the need for extensive upgrading across all infrastructure projects to support urbanisation. It is projected that urbanisation will triple by the year 2050.”
Zimbabwe’s construction industry is currently experiencing growth, driven by Government-led infrastructure projects.
The growth is anticipated to have a multiplier effect on the economy, generating jobs, stimulating related industries, and promoting overall economic development.
With ongoing investment and strategic planning, the sector is poised to remain a significant driver of economic progress in Zimbabwe through 2027 and beyond.
The Government has identified infrastructure as one of the key enablers of economic development hence priority has been given to infrastructure development projects such as road and dam rehabilitation and construction, irrigation rehabilitation and housing programmes.
Infrastructure development remains a key enabler of the Government’s vision of transforming Zimbabwe into an upper middle-income economy by 2030, which is anchored by the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), a five-year economic blueprint launched in 2021.
While challenges remain in segments of the residential property market, other areas such as retail development in secondary cities show significant promise.
Dr Chiwenga applauded the ZBCA for its great resilience and tireless efforts which have seen the country recording significant progress in construction and infrastructure development.
He said chief to note is the upgrade of the Harare-Beitbridge highway, revamp of the Beitbridge Border Post, Robert Mugabe International Airport and the Victoria Falls International Airport, massive dam construction and, the impressive on-going Mbudzi Interchange among other projects.
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