Kazungula Bridge
Posted Oct 09, 2008
In 2005, then Botswana president Festus Mogae told his Zambian counterpart Levy Mwanawasa at a state banquet that the construction of a bridge over the Zambezi River to join their two countries needed to begin as a matter of urgency.
Three years on, the two ferries that were plying the stretch of the river linking Zambia and Botswana at the time of Mogae’s comment are still chugging across the Zambezi, the only mode of transport across the water for north and southbound traffic.
Vehicles are delayed for hours, or even days depending on the queues, to cross the river before they can continue their journey across southern Africa.
The building of a bridge across this stretch of water at KazUngula has become more urgent than it was in 2005 owing to mounting pressure on southern Africa’s transport arteries in general.
Rapidly growing activity between South Africa, which accounts for about 70% of trade in southern Africa, and countries in the region, notably Zambia and Democratic Republic of Congo, has increased the amount of cargo moving through trade routes.
The commodity boom of the past few years has also meant a significant increase in back loads from these countries. This has also put extra pressure on all the main border crossings on routes leading to South Africa and its port in Durban, the preferred exit point for southern African exports.
The Zambezi River crossing at KazUngula is one of the links in the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) North-South Corridor, which runs between Durban port and the DRC and Tanzania, linking countries along the way.
The crisis in Zimbabwe is a contributing factor to congestion at “non-traditional” border crossings such as KazUngula.
This is as a result of Zimbabwe’s pervasive fuel shortages and currency problems as well as its deteriorating road system, which make this route one to be avoided if possible despite the extra distance to South Africa.
Congestion at Zimbabwe’s main border with Zambia at Chirundu, one of southern Africa’s busiest crossings, is another reason for demand at KazUngula, which deals with about a third of the number of vehicles.
Some studies have suggested that regulations regarding weight and other issues are not as strictly enforced at this small border crossing, also increasing its popularity.
Some trucks travel the 70kms from KazUngula through the western tip of Zimbabwe to Victoria Falls to link up with the main road artery through Zambia. But it is not an easy option.
It involves two troublesome border crossings into and out of Zimbabwe, with all the associated problems of bureaucracy and there are also stringent load restrictions for heavy vehicles on the Victoria Falls bridge due to its age.
The proposed bridge, which is to be designed as a public private partnership, would be constructed at the confluence of the Zambezi and Chobe rivers, about 65 km upstream from the Victoria Falls.
The project’s design cost is estimated in total at $100 million, with an extra $30 million to be spent on establishing a one-stop border post as part of the work of donors and regional organisations to improve the ease of trading across borders.
The African Development Bank has agreed to fund the feasibility study and expressions of interest have already been issued.
Zimbabwe threatened to be a sticking point in the timetable when it insisted that it should also have new border infrastructure built as part of the project.
The Zimbabwean authorities were involved at the early stages of the project as the bridge was due to arch over the country’s territorial waters. But to avoid the Zimbabwe demand, and what government officials from the other countries said was its unhelpful attitude on the issue, the main beneficiary countries have moved the proposed location a few metres upstream so it crosses over Namibian waters instead.
The question is whether a dramatic improvement in Zimbabwe’s fortunes on the back of the recently signed political settlement will affect the feasibility of the project.
Although the bridge project is linked to the emerging concept of building economic activity along transport corridors, Zimbabwe’s economic decline and its effect on the region was also a factor.
As the country’s economy improves, Zimbabwe, as the shorter route to the sea, is likely to become the transit route of preference again.
But it will also mean that the private sector there, once a strong regional player, will again become a force in regional trade, creating yet more demand for improved trade facilitation in the region.
Large infrastructure projects of necessity have to take a long-term view on the sustainability and viability of the resource.
Funders need to look at their return on investment. A decision to go ahead with the bridge in the future will be based on the viability of the infrastructure and its spin-off effect, which, in turn, is contingent on the region’s long-term fortunes.
Infrastructure is not the cure all for regional trade and competitiveness. Governments play a crucial role – they can make or break the vision of a successful and competitive sub-continent through unsupportive policies and poor governance.
The KazUngula project is likely to benefit from having beneficiary countries that have proved their political willingness to foster economic growth as key drivers. The project has also survived changes of political leadership in these countries.
The question now is whether it will survive the army of consultants, technocrats, advisers, funders and donors who take it from here.
Infrastructure projects are a vital cog in the wider regional integration plan and existing measures to improve other aspects of trade facilitation will be short changed without infrastructure to address key bottlenecks to the movement of goods and people, which is what KazUngula currently represents.
Dianna Games