Step closer to Kazungula Bridge

Bots, Zam sign Kazungula bridge pact





Lusaka - Zambia and Botswana have cemented bilateral trade ties with the signing of a financing agreement for the construction of the long-awaited Kazungula Bridge. The bridge project is estimated to cost US$248 million.

Zambia has indicated it would source additional funds from the African Development Bank, while the government of Botswana would also contribute towards the project.

The construction of the bridge at Kazungula would bring about immense socio-economic benefits to the COMESA region.

Zambia and Botswana have a shortfall of over US$130m for the construction of the Kazungula Bridge project.

Recently Zambia’s Works and Supply Minister, Yamfya Mukanga, said Zambia and Botswana are working out modalities to source funds to build the bridge and that Zambia is committed to ensure that the Kazungula bridge project comes to fruition.

Zambia and Japan have signed documents relating to the financing of the construction of the Kazungula Bridge across the Zambezi River, sharing the border with Botswana.

Zambia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Given Lubinda, and his Japanese counterpart, Koichiro Gemba, signed on behalf of the two governments in Tokyo recently.

According to a statement from Japanese International Development Agency (JICA), Zambia is seeking US$41.7m loan from the Japanese development agency.

The agreement forms part of the much-yearned for regional integration efforts among three of Africa’s leading economic blocs by 2018. The Southern African Development Community (SADC), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and East African Community (EAC) have agreed in principle to form a single regional economic bloc to foster trade and increase growth of the member countries by 2018 through joint efforts to rebuild their capacities.

COMESA Secretary-General, Sindiso Ngwenya, recently stated his organisation's commitment to raise more than US$41b towards infrastructure development in the 19-member countries to assist prop up infrastructure and realisation of the envisaged dream of a regionally integrated Africa by 2018.

The countries in SADC, EAC and COMESA seek to raise their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by US$1 trillion with a market consumption of 600 million.

Earlier, South African High Commissioner to Zambia, Moses Chikane, warned that a number of SADC countries might not meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 if a bridge is not constructed across the Zambezi River in Kazungula district.

Chikane made the remarks following a visit to the site of the construction of the bridge in Kazungula by a delegation of nine ambassadors accredited to Zambia on Wednesday.

He said the bridge had the potential to turn around the economic status of the SADC region through increased trade.

South Africa seeks to persuade leaders of the concerned countries to expedite the construction of the bridge in the best interest of the New Economic Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD) and the SADC region.

“People in the private sector can help put up this bridge. If we can agree, we can do it by getting resources from our governments. This would lead to economic boom and we can meet our MDGs.

“But if we don’t put up this bridge, it will be difficult for us to reach our MDGs by 2015,” said the South African diplomat. During the visit, Botswana High Commissioner to Zambia, Tuelonyana Ditlabi Oliphant, said there have been regular meetings over the construction of the bridge and that all countries concerned were eager to see work commence soon.
by Jeff Kapembwa