An Assessment of the Effectiveness of the Public Private Partnerships for Infrastructural Development in Zimbabwe

The study focused on assessing the effectiveness of PPPs in addressing the economic challenges being faced by Zimbabwe with regards to addressing infrastructural woes. The study investigated the effectiveness of PPPs, evaluated the extent to which the determinants were available in Zimbabwe and thus assessed the relevance of PPPs in addressing the challenges faced by Zimbabwe. The researchers used a mixed method approach in this study. Interviews and focus group discussions were carried out with various key informants with specialist knowledge on infrastructure development and involved in the implementation of the PPPs. In addition, 30 questionnaires were sent out to directors and managers in the PPPs industry. The major findings of the study were that the key determinants of success for PPPs were policy consistency, low investment cost, low labour costs, quality management systems and location advantage. The key determinants for success were to a less extent were not available in Zimbabwe. The study unearthed obstacles to private investment, such as political instability, weak public administration, unreliable legal frameworks, corruption, low capacity of project promoters, bankability of projects, lack of long-term financing, and insufficient resources for project preparation.