The Republic of Zambia and the Republic of Botswana have agreed to incorporate Zimbabwe as an equity partner on the Kazungula Bridge project and further ask Namibia to also join in the project.
The two countries have reaffirmed their commitment to incorporate Zimbabwe on the bridge project, with emphasis for the new member to pay up for their share of the bridge.
President Edgar Lungu and his Botswana counterpart Mokgweetsi Masisi today met at State House in Lusaka where they also agreed to ask Namibia to join in the bridge project because they also stand to benefit from the project once completed.
The two Heads of State held closed door talks at State House, followed by a media briefing on the resolutions concerning the Kazungula bridge project.
President Masisi disclosed that the two leaders discussed matters of finance for the contractor, in order to avoid further delays.
He revealed that the outstanding amount owed to the contractor have been paid and that he expects the contractor to ensure that the multinational bridge project is completed in the stipulated timeframe.
President Masisi stated that the two countries are happy to incorporate Zimbabwe to the project as an equity partner, stating that the technical team will work out the value of what Zimbabwe will be required to pay for the project.
He added that the two Presidents have already engaged President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe with regards to the said project.
He said President Lungu has further suggested that Namibia be incorporated on the project because the country stands to enjoy the benefits of the bridge once completed.
He said the two leaders will engage the Namibian administration on the issue of incorporating them to the bridge project which is set to be completed in 2020.
And President Lungu has announced that the date for the official commissioning of the Kazungula Bridge still remains in 2020.
President Lungu said leaders of the three countries, which are Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana are committed to ensuring that they deliver the project which was started by their predecessors.
President Lungu said the idea to connect the three countries and the rest of the SADC region, was born by the leaders of the three countries, which he said should be realized.
He said the Kazungula Bridge is important, adding that all the countries in the region will benefit, in terms of opening up the region for trade.
President Masisi who was accompanied by Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation Unity Dow and Minister of Transport Dorcus Makgato has since returned to Botswana.
Let’s roll
Our government is embarrassing us by not paying their share in this project.
Our politicians just like to talk, and steal.
Disgraceful lot.
What’s the to roll when you can’t make a pantry $18 m payment yet you can afford a 10seater $80m Private Jet.
Are you not ashamed as old as you are JUNIOR?
How do you incorporate Zimbabwe, a failed state? Lungu is a joker.
The only option left is to copy Muliokela’s idea of printing money like KK did in his last days.
PF is bankrupt. They’re failing to raise money from high taxes, toll gates. Every penny is going to Debt Service & PF luxuries like Lungu’s private jet.
Remember Ex-Minister of Finance Alexander Chikwanda said Govt has only been repaying interest on the Kaloba loans, but starting 2019, Govt will start repaying interest+principle amount. Tighten your belts. It’s time to dance Pelete.
Zambians like to share expenses with neighbors, even wall fences.
I have a dispute with my neighbor who wants me to complete his unfinished wall fence he erected on our boundary.
I told him that Yaba mwebo you found me there, and I hate fences, I don’t want to live in a Prison.
Zambia let’s just complete the Sesheke bridge, and name it Edgar Lungu.
Up to today Zimbabwe has failed to pay Zambia for the Kariba dam. Why do you always need these F.uckers ? It’s a failed state they used to laugh at Zambia why the hell do you need them?
Aba nao…
I saw a piece on the BBC about this bridge. It’s going to be a game changer once completed.
Edgar Lungu and PF have no shame! How can a small country like Botswana be bailing us out? It should be the other way round.
We are building a smart country and pretty soon, our country as beautiful as it is will be the talk of the world.
What a beautiful country we have … Zambia the beautiful. Our neighbors to the south just wished they had the topography we enjoy.
Been around the block and Zambia is such a beautiful country!! Some people would kill for such climate and topography.
Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana have nothing great to write home about only DRC can beat Zambia when it comes to natural beauty.
Just left the not so Great Britain and it’s pathetically old and gloomy.
What A Sweet Life ~ God bless Zambia!!!
Epo mpelele,
BRM
So we can include the Zimbabweans in the project because the economic benefits will flow into Zambia anyway
Zambians like commenting without information. Botswana has a donor funding the bridge (Japan). Zambia is using own resources. Given the circumstances Zambia is doing very fine on this project. Apart from this, the government is building a new police station, a hospital and an intercity bus station in Kazungula. These are huge projects that will earn the government votes in 2021.
Pardon me as a layman But the bridge is already under construction from Zambia to Botswana how does Zimbabwe get incorporated? Will we have to divert construction to the Zimbabwean side? Engineers tell us
if it was others it would have been a five day state visit serious pipo realise they v countries to run
Zimbabwe as usual with her opportunistic tendencies to Regional Integration has cashed in on this one.They are the ones who delayed this project by insisting that it should not touch their soil,resulting in a longer bridge costing more.Now they have realised that their plannec Beitbridge to Chirundu dual carriage way may not be economical when a 24/7 Kazungula bridge opens.They have quickly run to join it to get some benefits from projected toll fees!!For Namibia,I think it is better to persuade them to extend their railway line to join with Zambia rather than this bridge project!!
No wonder we are poor surely how do you bring someone on board when the project has already started…I mean Zimbabwe is part of the reason the bridge was built.
They should leave Zimbabwe and Namibia out of this project. It’s between Zambia and Botswana. Has Zambia failed to pay her share? If so, I can see another debt contraction. Go and borrow Zambia so you can meet your financial obligation to this project
Zimbabwe right is in such economic mess that they won’t even manage to put a million into this project!
Actually the starting point should be :why did they pull out in the first place?
Zimbabweans are such strange people. They are laugh at you when they see you falling. They were unreasonably antagonistic against the Kazungula Bridge Project. Now they are irking for a piece of the pie. They are traitors. Any wonder they now have more than their share of the region’s problems?
Zimbabwe’s economy is in coma. We need to feel pity for our brother. They are just resuscitating their economy which has been in coma for a long time. Are we in our right flame of mind,to incorporate a person in a coma for manual work? Zimbabwe needs to be assisted on its fragile feet. It is a mockery to invite Zimbabwe into such a project when its economy is still in fragility.
You probably in a coma yourself or you have never been to Zimbabwe. I regularly go to Zimbabwe and can authoritatively say that the Zimbabwe economy in a coma exist in your stupid and warped mind. Don’t let your hatred of Zimbabwe make you look like a fool. A lot of enlightened people read news and possibly wonder which hole an ***** like you has crawled from. President Lungu wouldn’t be stupid to invite Zimbabwe if there was nothing for Zambia to gain from it
1. Over 10 years period Zimbabwe resisted kazungula bridge until it was relocated to Botswana. 2. Bridge will make a lot of money for zambia. Zimbabwe should remain a top customer paying tolls, just like we pay at beit bridge. Don’t give away chance to get income!
A lot of fools here who happen to be my fellow Zambians think president Lungu and president Masisi are stupid to invite Zimbabwe to join the bridge project. well economics isn’t a comfy area for most people but people just waffle. For your own information both Botswana and Zambia will benefit in having Zimbabwe join in. Zimbabwe receives more tourists than Zambia (3 times more), more tourists than Botswana and Namibia. You have to tap into that market and allow those tourists arriving on Zimbabwean soil to move into Zambia and Botswana. so before go and display our stupidity or express our hatred for Zimbabwe, lets think people. We and Zimbabwe are one. Zimbabwe has an economy our size and soon to be much bigger and we benefit more doing business with Zimbabwe than trying to exclude them…
@10 Musonda,no need for insults,you seem to have issues mixed up.Yes Zimbabwe receives more tourists than Zambia but that cannot change bcoz of joint shareholding of the bridge.We already have bridges with Zim in Chirundu,Kariba Dam and Chirundu.How have these helped our tourism? Last year,Zimbabwe was allowed to join in phase 2 of the project for Border Infrastructure to be part of One Stop Border arrangement and NOT the bridge which they didn’t want to be part of if Botswana was there and it passed on their land.So why allow them to join the bridge phase 1 which is close to completion?
Great outcome, Zambia has borne the burden of Kariba Dam costs on Zims behalf for decades and all should pitch in if they stand to benefit. We carried many countries burden in the region as a front line state and received no compensation for its Good we are now thinking commercial. As for Botswana this is a life line from dependency on SA, so it makes sense that they should step up. Only people that hate their country can find relish in this matter.
Zimbabwe is always benefiting from Zambia. Zambia’s copper built Rhodesia for those of you that didn’t pat attention in social studies. Leave Zimbabwe out of this, let them pay toll fees as someone above has suggested. Name : Chibwachamazakala he stated : 1. Over 10 years period Zimbabwe resisted kazungula bridge until it was relocated to Botswana. 2. Bridge will make a lot of money for zambia. Zimbabwe should remain a top customer paying tolls, just like we pay at beit bridge. Don’t give away chance to get income! end of quote.
You cannot make everyone happy. Zambia and Botswana should complete this bridge by themselves. I am tired of having to bail out these ungrateful southern African nations. If it was to help cyclone Zimbabweans then yes, not when it is about a Bridge they cause with their insolence.
Now trying to incorporate other countries into the project so that your overall bill is reduced. Zimbabwe are worse off than us to contribute anything and namibia is too far to benefit anything from this project. Next it will be to incorporate south africa.
Thank you Masisi and Batswana for covering our shame! Thank you for paying the remaining amount to see the project completed as per plan. We are eternally grateful for your kind gesture. We’ll auction the new presidential jet and clear our share of the cost. God bless Botswana!
We further wish to distance ourselves as Zambian citizens from the shameful negligence of our current inept childish and self-centered leaders who only think of their Egos and their bellies!
Very sensible. Since Zambia and Zimbabwe do not share a land border (the border with Botswana is just a point in the Zambezi River), Botswana and Zambia are leasing a slither of land from Zimbabwe which is also used for the road from Botswana to Kazungula.
So just as DRC Congo ensures Zambians drive on the wrong side on the Pedicle, Zimbabwe can easily cancel that lease and the bridge that benefits Botswana more than Zimbabwe would have to be dismantled. Seems the Zimbabweans have sent an oblique hint about that. But they have to pay up on the construction and not free ride again.
@15 mbeba, this was going to be the case if the bridge had followed the original design which was shorter and cheaper but landed on Zimbabwean soil. Zimbabwe refused for Botswana to be involved if the bridge did not touch Botswana and insisted that Botswana did not have a frontage to Zambezi.At that time Zim was not even eligible for loans from multilateral lenders to start the project.Zambia and Botswana resolved to move the bridge westwards to avoid Zim’s land,making the bridge longer and expensive.Where the bridge will land is very close if not on Namibian soil hence the talk about persuading Namibia to join.As things are Zim can’t claim anything from bridge,it doesn’t touch their soil!!
I am Namibia Boilermaker Artisan looking for a job please put us in the project we are a group of artisan boilermaker.
I am a Namibian citizen and i am looking as a Artisan Boilermaker