Kazungula bridge will bypass Zimbabwe

Construction of the Kazungula
Bridge, which will bypass a
sliver of Zimbabwe and link
Zambia and
Botswana
directly across
the Zambezi
River, is
reported to be
progressing on
schedule.
Kazungula
is where
Zambia,
Zimbabwe,
Botswana
and Namibia
nominally
meet.
Traffic is
expected to start flowing
on the US$163-million
Kazungula Bridge by
December 2018.
It is a joint project of the
governments of Zambia and
Zimbabwe, with construction
being carried out by Daewoo
of South Korea.
Transit
times will be
significantly
reduced as
hauliers will
no longer
have to queue
for ferries or
pass through
Zimbabwean
customs.
Zimbabwe
has been
accused of
trying to
“sabotage” the
project because it will lose out
on the revenue it generates
through tollgates at the
border post.
There is also the likelihood
that traffic between the
Democratic Republic of
Congo and western Zambia
to South Africa will be
rerouted through Botswana
from Zimbabwe.
“There is no boundary
between Botswana and
Zambia. If they want to
build a bridge on that piece
of land, Zimbabwe has to
be involved,” Zimbabwean
transport minister Obert
Mpofu told parliament in
2014.
However, work started on
the bridge a few months later.
It will be served by a onestop
border post which is
being built by Anhui Foreign
Economic Construction
Group Company Limited of
China (AFECC).
The post will be on the
Zambian side of the border.
INSERT
Zimbabwe has been
accused of trying
to “sabotage” the
project because it
will lose out on the
revenue it generates
through tollgates.