As for how to develop the Matabele Plateau in Zimbabwe, the first priority was to bring in people. To that end, the East African government convened a government meeting.
Naturally, it was more a matter of government officials pooling their wisdom, with Constantin and Ernst ultimately making the final decision.
Von der Leyen said, "Economically speaking, the Matabele Plateau is currently a blank slate. Apart from the army, there is no population there at all, though there are quite a few natives in the area. We can first use the natives to develop some of the local resources. Moreover, the Matabele Plateau is far from East Africa, with Zambia lying in between. If we consider only land transportation, the distance involved in developing the Matabele Plateau is simply too great, and administrative management would be highly inconvenient. I suggest we communicate with Mozambique and have them open up a port. If we can transport goods by sea, it will greatly improve conditions on the Matabele Plateau."
Yalman said, "For security reasons, the Portuguese in Mozambique will probably refuse this request. We should not place too much hope on Mozambique."
Svit said, "The proper course is to solve the communication problem first. The telegraph line in Zambia is nearly complete as far as Southern Frontier Province. Once it is finished, we should immediately extend the line directly from Zambia into the Matabele Plateau. That way, we can maintain timely contact with the local garrison, make swift decisions, and respond to sudden incidents and potential risks."
Constantin said, "The native economy is worth considering. The Matabele Plateau is already in a colonial state, so we can use the garrison to get these natives moving. Let them roughly clear the land first and plant some crops, preferably high-yield potatoes and cassava. That will