River authority chief executive, Munyaradzi Munodawafa says those operating on the water rapids have to that effect built websites to fight the project which he says will cost an estimated 294 million dollars.
He told a media briefing at Livingstone’s protea hotel on Wednesday that his firm will find a better way of dealing with those opposing the project.
Engineer Munodawafa emphasized that this was the third time the project was being stopped since 1993 and has urged those opposing it to consider the benefits.
Meanwhile, Eng. Munodawafa says the Zambezi water authority will not disturb the water rafter’s activities on the river.
Eng. Munodawafa notes that water rafting companies usually have an operational peak season on the river, which the river authority will not disturb.
He explained that Zambia and Zimbabwe ministers of energy, who are directors on the project, have since been informed of the report but said better mitigation measures must be found for everyone’s benefit.
Zambezi river authority says it its facing challenges with the Batoka Hydro scheme.
What is more beneficial to us? Rafting or electricity generation? The only issue here is that we don’t have our own money to undertake such a project. We depend on the bazungu to finance and they are the ones most interested in rafting. Our problem is that when we try to build our own cash reserves, you bring in rats to clear everything back to square one.
White water rafting is an activity for crazy white people, let them take rafting to their countries. How many Zambians go rafting?
Electricity is important to our development than being on a rubber boat in life-jackets.
PA ZAMBIA/ZIMBABWE NAPO-SO IS THIS AN ISSUE TO WORRY ABOUT? AS @1 HAS PUT IT THE MOST BENEFITIAL IS POWER, PERIOD. IGNORE THOSE RAFTERS. AFTER ALL RAFTING WILL EVEN BE MORE FUN WITH MORE RAPID WATER AS A RESULT OF THE DAM.
Does water rafting benefit the entire populations of the two countries? No.
While the activity is important, it’s too small as an industry.
HEP on the other hand will benefit millions of Zimbos and Zedians, even beyond.
The White water rafters! You want our people to live in darkness and poverty at the expense of your “luxurious” hobby?? To hell!
Look, we mean business here. Let’s build the HEP, ignore those muppets stopping us. 1993 and we have been stopped by them? this is ridiculous, am guessing there wasn’t just the money to do the build the HEP.
Put the 1diots opposing the project in their place, they are probably the same sw1nes poaching our animals in the name of rafting.
The benefits outweigh the cost.
White rafters are COULD BE USED AS SCAPEGOATS FOR FAILING TO RAISE THE REQUIRED FINANCING!! Those rafters can even be closed down within days by revoking their operating licences! How can they become such a huge deal in a multi-billion dollars project that is expected to generate and power to distribute and feed into the entire region??
To hell we need the power
Concentrate on building electricity generation within Zed. Going into business with Zimbabwe is risky.
@Chuquitita, it is logical that we should first exhaust whatever opportunities we have inside the country before we go into partnership with Zimbabwe considering that the issue of sharing of assets between Zambia and Zimbabwe has not been sorted out 25 year later, as Zimbabwe refuses to compensate Zambia for the assets on Zimbabwe land , and the Zambian Govt. guarantees the loan to repair the Kariba as Zimbabwe is bankrupt and not credit worthy (Zambian Watchdog), and even this loan for the Batoka, the Zambian Govt. could be the one borrowing on behalf of Zimbabwe but the benefits could be skewed in favour of Zimbabwe. We have a leadership problem in our country. Our leaders are more concerned about their bellies at the expense of the future generations.