DBSA to help fill in Zim potholes

In another sign that organisations and people are planning for the post- Mugabe era, the Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA) has signed a US$206 million loan agreement with Zimbabwe for road infrastructure development. In a statement, DBSA said the loan was for the rehabilitation of a major road artery from Plumtree, through Harare, to Mutare, spanning 801km. The money is to be disbursed through the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration. It will support plans for Zimbabwe to make greater use of Walvis Bay through Botswana via the Plumtree border post, as well as trade through Beira to the east. Mutare is on the Zimbabwe/ Mozambique border. “The bank’s loan financing is a clear expression of South Africa’s commitment to Zimbabwe’s reconstruction and recovery effort and regional economic integration,” said DBSA chairman Jabu Moleketi.