Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Zambia, DRC to hold toll road, Luapula bridge talks

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Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are this week expected to hold high level bilateral talks over the expeditious implementation of the long- awaited Kasomeno-Mwenda toll road and Luapula bridge project in 2021.

The Kasomeno-Mwenda toll road and Luapula bridge project is a road link infrastructure venture that is expected to decongest the Kasumbelesa border post once implemented.

Zambia is being represented in the Congolese capital Kinshasa by Luapula Province Minister Nickson Chilangwa, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development Vincent Mwale and Minister of Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection Raphael Nakachinda.

Mr. Chilangwa, who is leading the delegation that also includes Luapula Province Permanent Secretary Charles Mushota and Road Development Agency (RDA) Chief Executive Officer George Manyele, is confident that the talks with Congolese officials will be successful.

Godfrey Chikumbi of ZANIS reports from Kinshasa that Mr. Chilangwa said he was looking forward to fruitful deliberations that will result in the speeding up of the project following the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which the two countries signed in Lubumbashi in 2019.

Mr. Chilangwa explained that President Edgar Lungu has tasked the ministers to travel owing to the economic benefits of the bilateral project.

He said possibilities of the formation of the Luapula River Authority are expected to be part of the agenda in this week’s talks.

And Zambia’s Ambassador to the DRC Friday Nyambe said he is hopeful that the bilateral talks will come up with a roadmap for the joint groundbreaking ceremony that will be graced the two countries’ Heads of State this year.

25 COMMENTS

  1. I thought this project started already!!!
    Anyway, this is kind of connectivity is what is needed in Africa especially in the advent of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
    Properly handled this will trigger massive industrialisation apart from just trade activities amongst African countries. Zambia needs this bride and the Highway from Kasomeno to Dar es Salaam via Mwenda. And PLEASE, let this road pass through Mwenda indirectly by way of a circular road in order to make it easy for further road network planning in Mwense which will grow into a big city in no time. This will also avoid heavily ladden lorris passing through Mwense City causing congestions and damage to inner city roads. And please, let it not be another PEDICLE ROAD.

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  2. They just want to fleece motorists by mounting a toll gate and charging people without giving them an alternative!!

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  3. Yet again there goes Zambia’s unsustainable debt…up ,up up .These ba PF wanna get elected and re-elected at all costs even if Zambia is damaged in the process.

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  4. Mzambia wa Zamani – This is a kakistocracy govt ..they are proud of themselves they have taken over Glencore’s debt in the Mopani to secure votes then you will hear them flying to Washington to beg for money from IMF …really laughable…it like an alcoholic coming to you with a half empty bottle of whiskey in his hand asking you for money for his children’s school fees ..very reckless bunch of individuals!!

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  5. How? Just how? You need to explain these things ba reporter ba shino nshiku. You say:
    The Kasomeno-Mwenda toll road and Luapula bridge project is a road link infrastructure venture that is expected to decongest the Kasumbelesa border post once implemented.
    Kasumbalesa is far away from Luapula. In between theres Mokambo, Sakania borderposts

  6. I totally agree with @Umwina Liverpool.
    Instead of putting a picture of a theoretical bridge, why didn’t you get a Google map of the areas mentioned so that people can see for themselves?
    If you had the map you could have seen that what you have written does not make any sense at all. Kasomeno is beyond Lubumbashi from the Copperbelt. Are we saying that trucks from Congo will come to Lubumbashi, turn back left to Kasomeno and then turn back right to Mwenda cross the Luapula and go off to Tanzania?

  7. When there is nothing to write, a news reporter will write anything such as ‘kawalala ataba mfiti’. Places mentioned for this project are very much far away from one another. Nonsense on the part of the writer.

  8. All these stories coming out now is because this is an election year and ECL and PF would want to look and sound very relevant to the Zambian citizenry hence they are moving very fast to seem to be a working government when they are not. Please open your eyes….why do we even go to school when we continue to elect bakaponya. It defeats the whole purpose of education when continually we are being governed by bachakolwa and bakabeje. Bane isuleni amenso please namipapata PF is not good at all. They have been a given a chance to turn things around but have lamentably failed so next try HH and see what the man can do for Zambia. I bet our country 10X will better off.

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