THE Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) has mobilised funds from donors for the rehabilitation of the Kariba Dam.
The rehabilitation works for the dam are estimated to cost over US$290 million.
ZRA chief executive officer Munyaradzi Munodawafa said cooperating partners have responded to the request from the Zambian and Zimbabwean governments to assist with the rehabilitation project.
Mr Munodawafa named the partners as the European Union (EU), which intends to contribute US$100 million, and the World Bank Group (WBG), which proposes to provide US$75 million, while ZRA is also looking for US$75 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB).
He said other partners are the Swedish government, which proposes to provide US$30 million funding, and the rest will be counterpart funds from Zambian and Zimbabwean governments.
“The outcome of the meetings between the two governments and the cooperating partners has been successful.
“A number of issues relating to implementation were discussed which pave the way to ensure the rehabilitation works are adequately funded, with expertise that will undertake the project to meet international safety standards to give a new lease of life to the Kariba Dam,” he said in a statement to the Daily Mail recently.
Last week ZRA on behalf of the Zambian and Zimbabwean governments met representatives of the EU, the World Bank Group and AfDB to finalise preparations for the rehabilitation of the Kariba Dam.
EU head of delegation Gilles Hervio said, “I am pleased with the progress that has been made so far in the preparatory work to ensure that the rehabilitation works are done in a timely manner to avert a power deficit in future.”
AfDB country representative Freddie Kwesiga told the meeting that the rehabilitation of the dam is important and that it will also secure an already constrained generation capacity in the southern African region.
World Bank country director Kundhavi Kadiresan also said reliable power generation is needed to meet the ever increasing demand in the region.
And Swedish Ambassador Lena Nordstrom said securing sustainable energy is a key priority for development cooperation and consequences of the dam failure would be a serious setback for efforts to reduce poverty and promote economic development.
Engineers have warned that a collapse of the dam wall would put the lives and livelihoods of more than 3.5 million people in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique at risk.
The ZRA recently warned that the dam wall needs urgent rehabilitation. However, it says there is no need to panic as engineers still have the situation under control.
Failure to invest in the timely rehabilitation of the dam will result in the gradual degradation of key dam safety features to a level below international standards.
what is the condition of those monies GIVEN? iS IT A LOAN AND HOW DO WE PAY HALF HALF WITH ZIM? THEN LET SATA AND MUGABE GO SIGN FOR THE SAME MONIES , SO THAT WHEN THEY LEAVE AKABWALI , WE CANNOT PAY BECAUSE THE PIPO WHO SIGNED WILL BE IN HEAVEN DANCING WITH ANGELS
What a SCAM!
PF cannot even account for the current Government expenditure and has already borrowed BILLIONS.
Now they “manufacture” an emergency to borrow even more! The next Government should refuse to repay this money to these lenders as they are complicit in this fraud!
THIS IS THE REASON I FIND IT HARD TO TRUST OUR MUNTU MUNYAMA GOVERNMENTS!!!
Surely approximately 8 months ago, the issue of Kariba Dam rehabilitation, came up, & our “Government” reassured us Kariba Dam is as saf,e & sound as can be, & DOES NOT need work or repairs/ rehabilitation.
WHAT HAS CHANGED NOW???
Have the P.F. Politburo realised they can apply for this cash- (Millions of U.S. Dollars), pretent to be working on Kariba, while The Money is shared out & siphoned to foreign Off Shore Accounts, & a few years after the Plunderers have expired, we shall hear their wives have put money forward to buy Barcelona Football Club, & shopping malls in Hollywood.
50 years after Independence, & we are still Monkey Poor.
Such crimes should be punishable by…
Continued;
such crimes should be punishable by, FIRING SQUAD, & this should be included in the Draft Constitution, or 200 years from today Zambia will still be a Dirty Dustbin, with A Few Rich Crooks -( Belly politicians), & Majority Dirt Poor who have no access to Health, Education, Equality, Security, or Hope!