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Kudakwashe Mugari recently in MAPUTO, Mozambique

IN a move set to ease the country’s power challenges, Zimbabwe will now be part of the ongoing power expansion projects in Mozambique, while a new visa regime will see visitors from either country getting passes at ports of entry valid for a duration of 90 days.

This is part of a set of agreements that were reached between President Mnangagwa and his Mozambican counterpart, President Filipe Nyusi, during a three-day State visit that ended yesterday.

The agreements, reached in the energy sector, mean Zimbabwe will be able to add more electricity to its power grid, and accelerate industrialisation and modernisation towards Vision 2030, to become an upper-middle-class economy.

In an interview soon after arriving in Harare from Maputo yesterday, President Mnangagwa described his visit as “excellent” as it opened new frontiers of co-operation between the two countries.

The President signs a visitors book at the Mozambican Parliament on Tuesday.

“Our State visit to Mozambique at the invitation of President Nyusi is premised on the solid relations between us and Mozambique but most importantly it is the commitment by Zimbabwe to capacitate Mozambique, post the current challenges in Cabo Delgado, where Zimbabwe among other SADC countries, has taken the responsibility to capacitate the Mozambican Defence Forces so that they hold their ground and stop any future spread of terrorism.

“With regards to issues of economic and trade co-operation, what we discussed and agreed upon, primarily, is in relation to energy. 

The President is joined by Mozambican president of Parliament Madam Esperanca Bia, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Mozambique Victor Matemadanda (left) and Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi for a group picture inside the Mozambican parliament in Maputo on Tuesday.

“We agreed that Zimbabwe should participate in the construction and generation of energy at Buzi. There are adequate gas deposits at Buzi, which is very close to our border, so we are going to craft a joint venture with Mozambique for the exploitation of gas at Buzi which will give us fuel and fertiliser. 

“Secondly, they have a programme to bring gas, again they would want Zimbabwe to join them,” said President Mnangagwa.

On the present visa regime, President Mnangagwa said the days allocated to travellers from either country will be increased from the current 30 to 90 per visit.

According to a communiqué released after the three-day State visit, the two countries acknowledged the progress in the transport and communication sector, as well as energy.

President Mnangagwa is led on a tour of Maputo Thermal Power Plant by an Electricidade De Mozambique official, in North West of Maputo, on Tuesday.

They also “noted the export of energy from Mozambique to Zimbabwe, the utilisation of the pipeline from Mozambique to deliver petroleum products to Zimbabwe from Beira Port, as well as the prospects of partnership in projects in the sector, namely Mpanda Nkuwa, Terminal Termic Centre and Buzi Reserves”.

The two countries also agreed to increase co-operation in the sharing of water resources, through concrete legal instruments, aimed at sharing the utilisation of common water resources; and co-operation in the field of health, where the two countries are engaged in exchange programmes.

The State visit saw Zimbabwe and Mozambique consolidating their long-standing relationship through the signing of an agreement establishing a Bi-National Commission that was accompanied by the adoption of agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in various fields to enhance co-operation.

The President speaks to ZESA Holdings executive chairman Dr Sydney Gata, while Midal Cables Group chief operations officer Mr Sunil Sharma (second from right) listens during a tour of the aluminium manufacturing company in Maputo on Tuesday. – Pictures: Tawanda Mudimu

Agreements were also signed in the area of Justice and Legal Affairs, Aeronautical Search and Rescue Services, and Science and Technology.