Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Mozambican leader Filipe Nyusi have inaugurated the renovated Beira-Machipanda railway line, said Mnangagwa, who attended the inauguration ceremony, describing the line as a very important link between the nations.
"We're marking a significant milestone - the commissioning of the rejuvenated Machipanda railway line, a vital 317.7km link between our nations," he wrote on X (former Twitter).
He further highlighted that the rehabilitated railway is expected to reduce transportation costs and ease congestion at the Forbes Border Post in Mutare, situated on the border with Mozambique. The post presently manages a traffic volume ranging between 300 and 500 trucks daily.
"Zimbabwe is a landlocked or land-linked country and continues to benefit from the use of Mozambican ports, railways and road infrastructure for the movement of both imports and exports," Mnangagwa explained as quoted by the state-owned newspaper.
In addition, the Zimbabwean leader said that the repaired infrastructure will significantly increase trade between the countries from 600,000 tons to 3.5 million tons.
Zimbabwe and Mozambique commenced a revamped rail line between the nations
The president of Mozambique, for his part, said that the renovated railroad significantly increases the volume of freight transported and reduces train travel time and fares.
Previously, he said, freight trains faced many problems because of the poor road.
"Freight trains used to have a lot of problems because the track had a lot of curves and tight radii, leading to accidents or loss of speed. The completion of the works and the consequent start of operations is a source of pride for all of us, because passenger rail transport will reduce the pressure on the roads, where there are long queues on certain sections," Nyusi said in a statement.
In his meeting with Nyusi, the Zimbabwean president also spoke about the international sanctions imposed on the country, noting that support from countries like Mozambique had helped Harare withstand the oppression of "colonial masters."
"We in Zimbabwe are 23 years under imperial sanctions imposed by our former colonial masters because we reclaimed our land, but because our brothers and sisters in Mozambique have stood by us, Zimbabwe is progressing, Zimbabwe is growing, Zimbabwe is modernizing, [and] Zimbabwe is on the march," Mnangagwa said.
President Mnangagwa reportedly added that Harare and Maputo must "march together and assist each other because we are one family."
Mozambique and Zimbabwe, both members of the Southern African Development Community share a border of more than 1,400 kilometers.