Plans for Zambezi Last week’s top stories on waterway run aground

Plans for a US$6-billion Zambezi river barge system linking Malawi to the port of Beira have hit turbulent waters, with the Mozambican authorities refusing to allow Malawi to pilot and test the proposed route with a fertiliser-loaded barge. The Nyasa Times reports that the Malawi government says it is engaged in diplomatic talks with Mozambique in order to refloat the plan. “We will soon make an official announcement over the whole situation because a lot is going on, and we hope to reach an amicable agreement in our discussions with Mozambique soon,” says Director of Transport Planning in Malawi’s Ministry of Transport and Public Infrastructure, Victor Lungu. Mozambican President Armando Guebuza told a news conference in Pretoria that opening the Zambezi and its tributary the Shire to international navigation would depend on the conclusions of a viability study. Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika, however, officially opened a river port at Nsanje on the Shire on October 23. Guebuza said, while he understood Malawi’s need to use the two rivers for its trade, that could only happen after the viability and environmental studies. Much of the road and rail infrastructure linking Malawi to the much closer ports of Nacala and Pemba is in need of rebuilding. Malawi also believes that transport by barges will be cheaper than that by road.