by Gideon Madzikatidze/Simbarashe Sithole
HARARE – Zimbabwe’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Honourable Advocate Felix Tapiwa Mhona, has reaffirmed the country’s dedication to safe, secure and sustainable global shipping at the 34th Session of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in London. Speaking on November 24, 2025, Mhona highlighted Zimbabwe’s alignment with the IMO’s 2025 theme, ‘Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity,’ integrating maritime transport into national plans.
“At the national level, we superintend and regulate several declared water bodies, which are crucial for local, regional, and international users in terms of waterborne tourism, inland waterways transport, shipping, fishing, and energy development, among other uses. These activities are governed under our Inland Waters Shipping Act, and we are in the process of enacting a comprehensive Merchant Shipping law to expand our alignment with IMO conventions and standards, and to fully participate in the affairs of international waters,” Mhona said.
“In the main, Zimbabwe relies on the efficient performance of regional ports of Beira, Maputo, Durban, and Dar es Salaam along the Indian Ocean coastline, and Walvis Bay, along the Atlantic Ocean coastline, in advancing regional and international trade. The support we receive from neighbouring member States of IMO is immense. That is why we respond positively to the thrilling opportunities of deeper collaboration availed by IMO, including capacity building of our human capital base,” Mhona added.
Though landlocked, Zimbabwe leverages regional ports like Beira, Maputo, Durban, Dar es Salaam, and Walvis Bay to boost trade, emphasising the importance of cooperation with neighbouring states and IMO support. The country is updating its Merchant Shipping law to match IMO standards and enhance international participation. Mhona also noted Zimbabwe’s role in the Maritime Organisation for Eastern, Southern, and Northern Africa (MOESNA), aiming to become a logistics hub.
Minister Mhona called for greater collaboration in technology transfer, capacity building, and financing for maritime projects, stressing the need to reduce transport disparities, promote standards, and support developing countries in implementing IMO rules. He linked these efforts to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s vision of making Zimbabwe “a Prosperous and Empowered Upper-Middle Income Society by 2030,” with the country being “open for business.”
The minister urged IMO members to foster a safer, greener, and more inclusive maritime future. The assembly runs until December 3, 2025.