by Patson Phiri – SANF 06 No 53
Southern Africa is investing in the construction of bridges and railway infrastructure as a way of opening up the region and deepening integration.
Two major bridges and a railway line are proposed for the region, offering important links to landlocked members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Japan is involved in the construction of a bridge linking Botswana and Zambia on the Zambezi River. The two countries have launched a project to construct the Kazungula Bridge that is set to provide efficient transport and trade links to southern Africa’s mainland states.
The proposed Kazungula Bridge will cost US$70 million and is a product of bilateral efforts that were launched in 1999. The talks proposed the establishment of a development plan to confirm the technical and economic viability of the Kazungula Bridge and its border facilities.
The two governments approached the Japanese government, through the Japanese International Co-operation Agency, which has agreed to provide both financial and technical assistance and has already funded the full feasibility process.
A Japanese consulting firm, Nippon Koei Co. Ltd, was engaged to undertake the study, and has completed work to facilitate actual construction.
The exercise included selection of the most suitable location of the bridge, geo-technical investigations, hydrological and hydraulic study, environmental impact assessment, economic analysis and preliminary designs of the bridge.
The project will ease difficulties in crossing Kazungula border between Botswana and Zambia.
The bridge is strategically located, with Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls town located just about 100 kilometres east while Namibia’s Katima Mulilo is situated about 70 kilometres to the west.
Previously, traders used an unreliable ferry, which was identified as a bottleneck in promoting free movement of goods and persons between the two countries.
Several feasibility studies conducted in the past have confirmed that the bridge will play an important role in the economic growth within the region, justifying the project.
The final draft report for the latest study has been completed and presented to both governments while the final report with regard to the detailed design and construction is yet to be submitted.
The project has been on the drawing board since the 1980s.
In February 1983, the Southern Africa Transport and Communications Commission (SATCC) submitted a request to the Norwegian Agency for International Development (NORAD) to meet the cost of a comprehensive feasibility study of a bridge across the Zambezi at Kazungula.
A report following the NORAD-funded feasibility study, submitted in August 1983, recommended that emphasis should be on improving the ferry service as the construction of a bridge was found to be uneconomical.
SATCC retained the project on its programme and in August 1986, through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), initiated another feasibility study on the bridge, which recommended that the project was economically viable.
Another major infrastructure project that promises to change the transport system in mainland SADC is a 685-kilometre railway line planned to connect eastern Angola and western Zambia.
The completion of the railway line that will connect Zambia’s copper mines to Benguela line in Angola via Solwezi in North-Western Zambia is set to reduce transport costs.
The railway construction would be done by North West Railways at a cost of US$200 million and is expected to take off later this year with funding from the Development Bank of Southern Africa.
Zambia’s copper exports have been going through the Tanzania-Zambia Railways but due to old age, the rail line has become less reliable against a background of increased copper production.
Zambia and Zimbabwe have re-opened the Victoria Falls Bridge, which has been rehabilitated to prolong its lifespan. The bridge was originally opened in 1905, with a lifespan of 100 years. Last year, authorities warned of excessive vibrations whenever heavy trucks were crossing the 152-metre bridge which links the two neighbours.
The renovations have given the bridge a new lease of life. The bridge is a critical trade link as it carries a railway line, a road and a footpath. It is also a popular tourist venue and the sight of one of the world’s highest bungee jumps into the 111-metre falls.
The heavy investment in infrastructure is in line with a recommendation by the SADC Council of Ministers in February to boost infrastructure ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup to be hosted by South Africa.
The council also launched the infrastructure development master plan.
The 14-member states resolved to come up with joint efforts by ministries of tourism to promote the region as a single destination to maximise benefits from the hosting of the world’s most converted trophy.
