Much of the development along
the Trans Kalahari Corridor
(TKC) is aimed at increasing
the movement of minerals in and
out of southern Africa.
According to Oscar Muyatwa,
CEO of the Trans Kalahari Corridor
Group, they are now hard at work
developing the rail link along the
corridor after years of investment in
the road infrastructure.
“Our idea is to link the coal
reserves in southern Africa to the
Port of Walvis Bay while at the
same time attracting other minerals
being mined in the region,” he
said. “Namibia has major oil and
gas prospects, with a number of
foreign-based companies already
prospecting for oil off the Namibian
West Coast. We are in the process
of linking a new manganese mine
that is planning to use the corridor
quite extensively.”
He said the focus on minerals
made the development of the rail
network top priority.
“Our road infrastructure
is fantastic but many of the
minerals we are targeting are bulk
commodities moving over long
distances and are therefore better
suited to rail.”
He said they were also in
talks with Botswana authorities
promoting the TKC as an option for
the transport of export coal.
“The building of a new Namibian
port, not far from the Port of Walvis
Bay, is also being investigated by
the government as indications are
that as the mining sector develops
and more minerals are exported,
another port will be a necessity,”
said Muyatwa.
“The geographic footprint of
our region will be redefined in the
future as growth takes place and
countries start working together
to get their goods to market at
cost-effective prices. Already
Zambia and Botswana are looking
at putting up a bridge between
the two countries to facilitate the
movement of cargo. I think the
way we do business in the sub
region is continuously growing and
changing.”
He said the ultimate goal of
a corridor such as the TKC was
to bring about a reduction in
the cost of doing business. “We
have to grow corridor traffic and
business by implementing transport
programmes that make it easy to
move one’s cargo, while at the
same time also ensuring Customs
and transit facilitation programmes
are in place.”
CAPTION
Oscar Muyatwa … ‘New port under
investigation.’
