President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday officiated at the groundbreaking ceremony for the improvement of the North-South corridor at Hell’s Gate near Chirundu. The project is aimed at improving steep gradients on the Makuti-Chirundu section of the North-South corridor.
A statement by the Ministry of Publicity and Broadcasting Services reads:
President Emmerson Mnangagwa today officiated at the groundbreaking ceremony for the improvement of the North-South corridor (Highway No. 3) in Makuti. The road is part of the Pan African highway which is critical for domestic transportation and connects ports in South Africa and Mozambique.
The project, a Japan Grant Aid programme, aims to improve traffic safety and shorten the travelling time. Around 250 local workers will work on the project, which is expected to be completed by December 2020. Japanese experts will also transfer knowledge to their local counterparts.
The financing of the project by Japan, to the tune of US$21 million, falls under the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), which was launched in 1993 to promote Africa’s development, peace & security. President Mnangagwa will attend TICAD7 this week.