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Namibia: Kazungula Bridge Soon to Become a Reality
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New Era (Windhoek)
2 June 2008
Posted to the web 2 June 2008
Petronella Sibeene
Windhoek
Namibia has agreed to participate in the construction of a multi-million-dollar Kazungula Bridge that has a long and tortuous history.
The construction of the US$300-million bridge is a tripartite effort by Zambia, Botswana and Namibia.
Recently, Cabinet approved that Zambia and Botswana carry out feasibility studies of the Kazungula Bridge that will transverse into Namibia's territorial waters.
The Ministry of Information, and Communication Technology last week announced that Cabinet had approved that Namibia explore the possibility of linking the Impalila Island, that stands approximately 100 metres offshore, to the Kazungula Bridge.
The country is prepared to finance its component of the study if consultations conclude that the linkage to the bridge is necessary.
Minister of Works and Transport, Helmut Angula, told New Era yesterday that once a reality, the bridge will increase trade with Botswana.
Currently, goods transported to Impalila Island have to pass through Ngoma via Kasane.
"The bridge will provide reliable access to Impalila," the minister added.
Angula also stated that Namibia would only carry out consultation work after the other two countries have carried out the preliminary studies.
While he would not indicate when the feasibility and detailed design studies would commence, Angula said Namibia would communicate its go-ahead decision to Zambia and Botswana.
The construction of this bridge is another milestone in the integration of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Zambia and Botswana regard the project as important especially that they have been using an unreliable pontoon at the Kazungula River crossing.
Initially, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe agreed to the construction of a bridge at Kazungula after feasibility studies were conducted in 2001 and 2006.
The three countries signed a memorandum of understanding, which has not been implemented because of a border dispute between Botswana and Zimbabwe.
The border dispute resulted into the African Development Bank as funding agent, withdrawing.
"To avoid losing the money because of the delayed border dispute, Botswana and Zambia opted for an alternative route that traverses into Namibian waters for a distance of less than 100 metres," said Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, Mbeuta Ua Ndjarakana.
A meeting of SADC Ministers of Works and Transport held in April this year indicated that the bridge would be a SADC project from which all SADC countries, except Mauritius and Madagascar, will benefit, he said.
According to the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre, experts say on completion, the bridge will speed up traffic and help ease the import and export delays encountered at the border because of the outdated ferry being used.
In 2003, more than 15 people drowned in the Zambezi River when the ferry collapsed under the weight of a truck, causing nearly two weeks of traffic blockade as engineers worked to replace the ferry.
The bridge will be a major infrastructural development that will add to the recently constructed Katima Mulilo Bridge between Zambia and Namibia.
Officially unveiled in 2004, the Katima Mulilo Bridge has opened up a trading corridor and shortened the route for Zambia and DRC exports and imports to and from Walvis Bay.
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Lack of infrastructure is one of the biggest problems that increase the cost of doing business in the SADC region. Regional governments have therefore placed infrastructural development at the core of regional integration initiatives, concluded the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre.
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