New 1,700km railway line, deepwater port to ferry coal from landlocked Botswana to Mozambique for export

By Thulani Mpofu July 11, 2024

Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Botswana have joined forces to upgrade a railway line linking the three countries while building a new one and a deep-water port.

The projects, New Zimbabwe reported on July 11, are set to boost the southern African neighbours' economies while entrenching integration of the region.

They plan to build the port at Techobanine on Mozambique's Indian Ocean coast and the new line that will run for 1,700km to Botswana through Zimbabwe. Both projects are meant to move coal from Botswana to Techobanine for export.

"The proposal has been there for some time to make the linkage," Zimbabwe's ambassador to Mozambique Victor Matemadanda is quoted as saying.

"In fact, the idea is to link the region through Zimbabwe. As you know, Zimbabwe and Botswana railways have been linked and worked together in the past; the same arrangement was there between Mozambique and Zimbabwe."

New Zimbabwe writes that the plans to develop the port and supporting rail link were mooted some years ago but are "expected to be finalised through a tripartite agreement signed this week."

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