President Robert Mugabe recently officiated at a ground-breaking ceremony to mark the beginning of the dualisation of the Beitbridge-Harare highway amid claims by the government that the project would create 300 000 jobs.
The claims were ridiculed by Zimbabweans who say they are still waiting for the 2,2 million jobs promised by Zanu PF during its 2013 election campaigns.
However, Transport and Infrastructure minister Joram Gumbo (JM) told our reporter Xolisani Ncube in an exclusive interview yesterday that the 300 000 figure was actually a conservative figure, claiming that more people would be employed in various aspects of the project when it eventually kicked off.
Gumbo also scoffed at the recent warning by the United States to its citizens against using Air Zimbabwe after the national airline was banned from European skies following safety concerns.
The minister said Air Zimbabwe had never demanded any business from the United States and would, therefore, be left unscathed by the move. He also said the struggling airliner would not be affected by the increasing number of airlines that are introducing flights out of Zimbabwe.
Below are excerpts of the interview.
XN: Honourable minister, on May 18 we witnessed the ground-breaking ceremony for the dualisation of the Beitbridge-Chirundu highway and we read that you said the project would create 300 000 jobs. How feasible is this given the projects and the distance involved? JG: I think there is a lot of interest about the figure of 300 000. I don’t know why people are so interested in that figure. Let me be specific and give you details of this big project. We are going to have eight segments in this project, which means eight construction companies.
We have over 37 bridges to be constructed in this road. We have provisions for stone work in this project. We have labourers who will be doing the loading and offloading of gravel road and anyone who knows about road works will tell you that a lot of people will be employed because there is a lot of downstream activities that will happen.
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And as far as I know our people, what you call a job, is a job that you would be employed at TM supermarkets or at Mimosa Company.
You do not regard a job that involves this kind of work as a job. In my view, people are concentrating on trivial issues. It is a fact that that number can be achieved or even be surpassed because as you know, in this kind of road, there will be a lot of work that will take place.
There will be clearing of the land, cutting of trees, so forth and so on. I don’t know why it becomes like an issue for us as Zimbabweans and not to concern ourselves about the project. Is it a crime to employ 300 000 people? It’s not a crime. Is it an underestimation or an over estimation? No one is putting better arguments to this issue. People are not looking at the length realistically, we are talking about 1000 km and it needs a lot of people to be employed because of the type of job that is required in construction.
There will be fuel that will be moved around. We are talking about security that will be provided to the project. We will have officers working in offices for this project, including management. We are talking about provisions of quarry stones supply, so I think from all these issues, you get a number of people that are going to be employed.
XN: We have read reports that only Zanu PF card-carrying members will benefit from this project or from jobs created by this project. Is this a Zanu PF project or jobs for votes?
JG: It’s an Austrian firm, which will be doing the road. As minister, I have no control on the appointment of anyone to work with that firm. I don’t know of any Zanu PF person who is going to be in charge of the project or recruitment of the project.
All I know is that we have given the contract to Geiger International and it is this company that will select companies that are going to assist it on the construction of the project.
Take for example the Beitbridge-Harare which is going to be segmented into six parts, and what I mean by segmentation is that there will be companies that are going to be contracted to do segments of the road, suppose 100 km and that segmented road can even be further segmented to 20 or 50 other segments of the larger segment.
For us, what is important is that Geiger International must do this road in three years or below because we want it constructed as soon as possible. So they are the ones that are going to appoint companies that are going to work with them. This includes, local and international.
As government, what we have done is that we have told the contractor that 40% of the work on this road, the work and value of the road, must be allocated to Zimbabweans to make sure that Zimbabwean companies and people benefit from the project.
We don’t want those international companies to bring labourers when we can provide.
So whoever is coming with an issue of Zanu PF, I don’t know where they are getting it. This is not a Zanu PF project, it is a national project and as the minister, I don’t know anything to the effect that it is a Zanu PF project.
XN: Some people are dismissing the whole project saying it is an election gimmick. What is your comment?
JG: In any situation there are doubting Thomases because I don’t know what the word gimmick means and how it is relating to this project.
We have done the ground-breaking of the road and responsible companies are busy as I am talking to you right now putting up things to ensure real work starts.
This is not a project that just starts like that, a lot of work, pre-works I say are involved. It’s not that easy. So as I speak to you right now, they are putting up their stations along the roads.
They are busy looking at spots where they will put up their stations so, as far as I know, the project is already progressing.
As far as I know, the companies involved have done the closure on finances and all necessary paper work is done.
I don’t care about your sceptics. I only care about the work that is ahead of us. Let those who speak ill of this project continue doing so, they are dreaming and it’s allowed to dream that we shall fail, but that is not even my worry at all.
XN: When do you expect real work to start , away from these paper work issues you are talking about?
JG: I think that question should be directed to the project contractor, but let me say this, the people involved here are already on the ground clearing the way and they even said it during the ground breaking ceremony that they are ready to start.
All they were waiting for, the financial closures are now done so its all systems go.
XN: We have seen the US issuing more like a ban on its citizens not to use Air Zimbabwe because of safety concerns. How is this going to affect the revival of Air Zimbabwe and what do you think of this drastic action?
JG: The US cannot ban an airline; they are not an official authority to ban us. Anybody can ban their dependents from using anything, for example, you can ban your children from using Air Zimbabwe.
So the US have said their citizens or officers should not use Air Zimbabwe. I don’t know if we have ever depended on the US for the survival of our airline.
I am not worried about that. It has nothing to do with us because we continue to make sure that we resuscitate Air Zimbabwe so that it flies and remains flying and does what it should do.
Whatever anybody says about Air Zimbabwe or even think, it is their business.
XN: As government, are you not worried about the level of competition Air Zimbabwe is facing considering the state of the company? It seems it is losing ground to regional airlines.
JG: I am not worried; I am excited because that is why we have improved our airports such as Victoria Falls Airport, that is why we are expanding the Harare International Airport.
Look here, Air Zimbabwe has a record of bad budget and that is what we are dealing with.
Its finances were not in good shape and we are cleaning that so that we can get a partner and compete. I know what is happening and I know what good we are working on.
XN: Do you mind sharing the progress with regards to the partnership you are looking at?
JG: No I can’t, I am an African, I don’t tell when the child is going to be born before it is born until the child is born.
XN: Thank you minister
JG: Always ready to talk to you.
