Kanyemba border post rehabilitation to accommodate wildlife and its habitat

– the designs provide for animal corridors within both the irrigation schemes and urban areas to allow for the free passage of wildlife, cabinet revealed.

John Cassim

Harare – The Zimbabwean government has assured that the rehabilitation of the Kanyemba border post, situated at the extreme north of the country will spare the wildlife and its habitat.

The project which was supposed to be completed this year, is yet to start although feasibility studies and construction of the 354 kilometre road from the capital Harare, are underway.

“The Kanyemba Border Post Development plan is based on smart city and ecocity concepts and provides for institutional, commercial, administrative, hospitality, smart mobility, mainstream residential and recreational facilities as well as conservation areas and game corridors, among others

“The designs provide for animal corridors within both the irrigation schemes and urban areas to allow for the free passage of wildlife,” cabinet said in a statement issued after the inaugural 2023 meeting.

Conservationists from Zimbabwe and bordering nations, Mozambique and Zambia having been raising concerns since 2017, that the civil works and the bituminous road construction was going to affect the wildlife habitat.

This sparked a huge debate with some wildlife stakeholders calling for a petition to stop the work by Exodus and Company an entity contracted to construct the road and design the new Kanyemba Border Post. 

While cabinet said, a total of 1 600 hectares has been set aside for urban development, more land has also been set aside for communal and commercial irrigation schemes, making it a total of 3000 hactares.  

On Tuesday cabinet did not mention the construction of a Y bridge linking Zimbabwe to Mozambique and Zambia although it is understood if all goes well, the bridge will help reduce travelling distance by 400 kilometres for those driving to Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania.Apart from having a wide range of wildlife, like Elephants and Hippopotamus, Kanyemba is also known for its catch and release tiger fishing and a variety of safaris along the Zambezi river and the Island.