Zimpapers Logo

NSSA is looking at increasing its investment in Beitbridge after expressing interest in financing projects under the Beitbridge Redevelopment Programme, which included the construction of the Beitbridge Rainbow Hotel that it has already completed

Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
The National Social Security Authority (NSSA) has engaged the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing on the possibility of taking over projects under the Beitbridge Redevelopment Programme (BRP), a cabinet minister said yesterday. Labour and Social Services Minister Nicholas Goche revealed this after touring the new 140-roomed Beitbridge Rainbow Hotel which was constructed by NSSA and is expected to be officially opened soon.

The three-star hotel, which is being leased to the Rainbow Tourism Group, was constructed under the Beitbridge Redevelopment Programme (BRP), which is part of the National Economic Priority Development Programme (NEDPP) that was launched by President Robert Mugabe in Beitbridge in 2007.

The Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing was charged with supervising the project.
Apart from the hotel, other projects that fall under the Beitbridge Redevelopment Programme include 24 F14 houses, 64 garden flats, a shopping mall, a new secondary school, a new bus terminus and the dualisation of the road from the border post, among other civil works.

Some of these projects are at various construction stages and the Government has been struggling to complete them due to the unavailability of funds.
An estimated $2 million is needed to complete the 64 garden flats alone, which are 50 percent complete.

“The matter is still under discussion and there have been some positive response from the ministry of local government,” said Minister Goche.
“We are very hopeful that NSSA will be able to complete most of these projects, especially the garden flats and other housing units which are at various construction stages.
“The completion of these houses will go a long way in addressing perennial accommodation woes in Beitbridge.”

Cde Goche said the completion of the redevelopment projects had initially been transferred to the New Limpopo Bridge (NLB) by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.
He said the contract was later cancelled after their contractor performed dismally. The Minister also commended NASSA for investing in a property through construction of the Beitbridge Rainbow Hotel which he said had helped in giving the town a facelift.

“This is an impressive structure for Beitbridge and Zimbabwe. We need more structures like these in this town.
“It is of paramount importance that as a government we invest more in modern structures such as shopping malls and hotels in this border town,” he said.

Minister Goche said so far Government had allocated land to a number of property developers who were interested in the construction of shopping malls and other business centres in Beitbridge.