Harare, (New Ziana) – As economic ties between Zimbabwe and China continue to strengthen, the two countries on Thursday signed exchange letters, committing to upgrading and maintaining irrigation schemes in six provinces.
Signed in June 2019, the project will be financed under the Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement under whose terms irrigation projects will be upgraded in Mashonaland East, Midlands, Masvingo, Mashonaland West, Manicaland, and Masvingo provinces.
The agreement also funds the drilling of 300 boreholes, the Juncao Technology Assistance Project, and a Policy Consultation initiative.
At least 234 of the planned boreholes have been completed, while the drilling of a further 66 in the Midlands province is ongoing.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Harare on Thursday, the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, Prof Mthuli Ncube, said the project demonstrated the strengthening of the longstanding cooperation between the two countries.
“We express our sincere appreciation to the People’s Republic of China for its continued support to the people of Zimbabwe, which has been extended through grants, concessional loans, humanitarian assistance, as well as technical cooperation, among others. The People’s Republic of China has provided significant support across various sectors of our economy, including Transport, Energy, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Agriculture, Education, and Health, among others,” he said.
Prof Ncube said the support has been implemented through a range of past and ongoing programs and projects, including the Hwange Units 7 & 8 expansion, Kariba South Hydro Power Station Extension Project, expansion of the Robert Mugabe and Victoria Falls International Airports, construction of the New Parliament Building in Mount Hampden, construction of a new National Pharmaceutical warehouse as well as the supply of medical equipment, among others.
He added that under the Policy Consultation Project, the Chinese government has been supporting Zimbabwe through a range of capacity-building initiatives, including assistance in the development of special economic zones, state-owned enterprise reforms, and policy formulation aligned with the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).
Speaking at the same event, Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhou Ding said the ceremony marked another milestone in the two countries’ close partnership.
He said the project was designed to unlock greater productivity for smallholder farmers, catalyze agricultural modernization, and strengthen the nation’s resilience to climate change.
“We look forward to working with our Zimbabwean partners to advance this transformational initiative. This initiative represents more than market access, it is a commitment to mutual development and a rejection of global protectionism.
“We will continue to support Zimbabwe through various assistance projects. Apart from large infrastructure projects, we have focused on people-centred livelihood initiatives,” he said.
New Ziana
