The World Bank believes Zimbabwe has the capacity to reclaim its position as the breadbasket of Southern Africa, Harare’s The Herald newspaper reported on Wednesday.
For this to happen the country would have to revitalise its road, railway and water infrastructure, the paper’s website quoted World Bank country manager Sudhir Chitale as saying.
”Zimbabwe has the potential to once again reclaim its position as the breadbasket of Southern Africa,” Chitale told an infrastructure-assessment workshop in Harare.
”Until the 1990s the country has been the breadbasket but since then it has been facing difficulties owing to infrastructure breakdown.”
Chitale said infrastructure such as roads, railway and water were critical and contributed immensely to the economic growth and development of a country.
Transport and Communications Minister Christopher Mushohwe told the workshop the country’s road, railway and water infrastructure needed rehabilitation since most of it had outlived its lifespan.
”The country has been facing major challenges, such as funding, as we used to have development partners like the World Bank, the Japanese, other donors and international organisations, but the majority pulled out at the height of the land-reform programme.”
Mushohwe urged the outside world, civil society and donors to assist in revitalising the country’s infrastructure, which was key to economic development.
”It is in the interest of the region, even the continent, given our geographical location,” he said. — Sapa