Thursday, March 28, 2024

Zambia and Angola sign agreement on water and railway transport

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President Edgar Lungu and his counterpart President Eduardo Dos Santos at the Presidential Palace yesterday. Picture by ROYD SIBAJENE/ZANIS
President Edgar Lungu and his counterpart President Eduardo Dos
Santos at the Presidential Palace yesterday. Picture by ROYD
SIBAJENE/ZANIS

ZAMBIA and Angola have signed two bilateral agreements on water and railway transport which will facilitate the movement of people and goods and boost trade between the two countries.

And President Lungu yesterday joined his Angolan and Democratic Republic of Congo counterparts José Eduardo dos Santos and Joseph Kabila in commissioning the US$1.9 billion refurbished Benguela railway in Luau, eastern Moxico province of Angola.

The agreements were signed here on Friday by Minister of Foreign Affairs Harry Kalaba and Angolan Minister of Transport Augusto da Silva Tomas at a ceremony held at the presidential palace.

The agreement on water transport is envisaged to facilitate the movement of water vessels between Zambia and Angola at points where the two countries share waterways.

This agreement is hoped to operationalise the development of the Shangombo-Rivungu canal, a 10 km waterway which links western Zambia to the south-eastern part of Angola.

So far, construction works on the canal have reached an advanced stage as construction of facilities such as landing bays is almost complete.
Zambia has set aside over K1.7 million for the construction of 10 staff houses which will commence soon.

When constructed, the canal will open up the rural parts of Zambia and Angola to promote the movement of goods and people thereby improving the general well-being of the citizens of the two countries.

And the aim of the railway transport agreement is to facilitate transportation of goods and people between the two countries.

The railway line which will be constructed under this agreement will further facilitate connectivity between Bengwela railway line and the 600 km North-Western Railways of Zambia to be built from Chingola, Solwezi, Lumwana up to Mwinilunga-Jimbe.

The construction of the railway line which starts before June, will be launched by President Lungu.

The railway line will connect Zambia to the port of Lobito on the western part of Africa.

This connectivity is important because it will ease importation and exportation of goods to and from Europe as well as importation of oil from Angola, which is constructing an oil refinery company which will be completed over the next one year.

The setting up of a refinery company by Angola will benefit Zambia, especially North-Western and Copperbelt provinces.

The railway line to be built under the railway transport agreement will make Zambia a transit country as it will link the western coast of Africa to the continent’s eastern coast through Benguela railway line which will feed into North-Western Railways of Zambia.

The railway construction project is estimated to cost about US$1 billion between Jimbe and Chingola. About 45 percent of the resources have already been mobilised by the private sector.

President Edgar Chagwa Lungu (fifth from left) and First Lady Esther, join his Angolan and Congolese counterparts Jose Eduardo Dos Santos (third left) and Joseph Kabila (second left) in Luau,Moxico Province in Angola on Saturday,February 14,2015. PICTURE BY SALIM HENRY/STATE HOUSE
President Edgar Chagwa Lungu (fifth from left) and First Lady Esther, join his Angolan and Congolese counterparts Jose Eduardo Dos Santos (third left) and Joseph Kabila (second left) in Luau,Moxico Province in Angola on Saturday,February 14,2015. PICTURE BY SALIM HENRY/STATE HOUSE

Meanwhile, President Lungu and his Angolan counterparts José Eduardo dos Santos and Democratic Republic of Congo Joseph Kabila commissioned the Benguela railway in easthern Angola.

And speaking before departure for Lusaka, President Lungu said the challenge now lies with Zambia and the region to integrate into the Angola Railway network.

Mr Lungu said the Benguela Railway is shortest route to the port and can help boost trade in the region. He said Zambia will tap into the railway network to boost trade.

President Lungu has since returned in the country after his two-day visit to Angola where he was invited by that country’s President.

He was welcomed by Vice-President Inonge Wina, Secretary to the Cabinet Roland Msiska and other senior government officials.

President Edgar Lungu being welcomed by Secretary to the Cabinet Dr Roland Msiska on arrival fro Angola at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport Picture by THOMAS NSAMA
President Edgar Lungu being welcomed by Secretary to the Cabinet Dr Roland Msiska on arrival fro Angola at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport Picture by THOMAS NSAMA

58 COMMENTS

  1. Bravo Mr President. The work railway line indeed will boost trade not only our country but also other countries such as Zimbabwe Malawi including Mozambique (if goods are coming from Western coast) We thank you Mr President for good works and vibrant PR with our nebas

    • Do those people called bandits or Zambians call them ministers do any work ? Every-time the airport . Never seen a plane before or just like cameras at the airport …

    • @Zambian Watchdog, grow up and suck it up. Your president lost, move on. He knew the results even before they were published, that’s why he started whining before the end of the show. If he had any solid evidence, he would have put up a fight and would have caught the court’s and our attention

    • Iyeeee, some of you people have ‘fog’ for ‘brains’ mwe! Bo @ndobo, so how do you expect to transport the oil into Zambia? Walk it across, truck it, fly it, or what? One would think anyone with a bit of education should know that WATER (shipping) and RAIL transportation are the most appropriate and cheapest ways of transporting bulk goods—and oil being one such commodity.

      And who knows, this might even mean opening up a oil refinery in the near future close to where this canal is being built. Which means Western province might soon see some sort of industrialization boom.

      By the way, I remember an article not too long ago stating that talks concerning an OIL DEAL with Angola has reached an advanced stage. Soon Angolan oil will start flowing into Zambia. DON’T BE PETTY!

    • @Moyes, what exactly are you thanking the President for? These works have been on going even before ECL came into power. Whoever was going to be president was going to grace the ceremony with their presence and sign whatever agreements were in place. This, sir is not an ECL initiative.
      Of course that doesnt mean that this alternative connection is not vital. It will give Zambia another option. My only observation is that we are failing to maintain the two options we have currently, Zambia Railways to the South and TAZARA to the NorthEast. We do not seem to have a strategic policy on recapitalizing this mode of transport and have chosen to go road haulage to the advantage of a few selfish individuals.

    • @yamba yamba
      iwe na iwe,,, railways and oil deals are long overdue and are immediate requirements for now if not yesterday for the poor zambian economy,,, your president should have sealed that first!!!,,,, this water bussines is not an urgent issue,,, he would have sent kalaba or hapunda to deal with it later

    • And how do you seal an oil deal that is still being negotiated!?

      C’mon @ndobo, I think you can do better in your discussions/comments than the pettiness you are portraying here!!!

    • @yambayamba
      This railways and manzi bussines was already a done deal from way back,,,, ask Mr kavindele will tell,,therefore this is not news,,, no need for your president to make a big deal out of it!!
      the truth is what your president went to angola to seek regional alliances for his presidency on advice from KK, Mugabe and RB,,,
      Zambia needs an oil deal with angola like yesterday,,,, but lungu wont do it because there are people in PF in the indeni bussiness who will lose….
      not tell me it takes a million years to seal an oil deal with angola and a two seconds to seal a deal in saudi arabia,,, come on dude,,, donot be a headless cadre

    • FINALLY ECL HAS DONE WHAT MANY PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS FAILED TO DO-BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH ANGOLA. THIS IS A HALLMARK ON ECL’S FOREIGN POLICY. WE NEED NEIGHBORS LIKE ANGOLA TO IMPROVE IN CERTAIN AREAS OF OUR COUNTRY- “NO MAN IS ISLAND”. ANGOLA’S ECONOMY IS GOOD, IT IS ANGOLA THAT BAILED OUT PORTUGAL DURING THE PREVIOUS GLOBAL CREDIT CRUNCH. If You Dont Believe this, check this link http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-15790127

    • @ndobo, Zambia has been dealing with Saudi Arabia on oil issues since God knows when. So it is easier to change those deals from middle men to direct Govt to Govt than it is to start from nothing. Although Angola is our neighbor, Zambia has never dealt with that country at a substantial level due to the all-familiar histories (conflicts, mistrust, e.c.t.) between the two countries. So YES, you expect negotiations of any kind to take some time—you have to build the TRUST back up first. Especially that we are NOT talking about a deal involving buying chickens—OIL is both an economic and national security strategic commodity—so you expect talks to be exhaustive and long.

      By the way, this “cadre” refuses to engage in rumor, innuendo, and half truths. So, take that to ZWD!

    • @yambayamba
      you are agreeing with me while doing shadow boxing with ZWD kekekekekek!,,, and not a fan or the editor of ZWD and i dont believe in them and many other zambian media outlets(post, times of zambia, zambia daily mail etc) who drive a biased agenda,,, so leave that point out

      stay on the point,,, am putting it to you that this transport deal was done years back,,,so your lungu shouldnt make a big deal out of it,, he went to angola to make friends and alliances fo his presidency not for economic reasons,,
      number 2,, the only reason why your lungu wont go for the angola deal is that his people in indeni oil deals with saudi connection will lose serious cash,,
      if many other countries who once deal with saudi ,, just changed in a heartbeat to deal with angola,,

    • @ndobo: I have already told you, I “refuse to engage in rumor, innuendo, and half truths.” I am NOT one who engages in speculations and made-up stories. Which is what you are doing here.

      1) “am putting it to you that this transport deal was done years back”

      Ok, so ECL should do what then? Not show up to cement it?

      2) “so your lungu shouldnt make a big deal out of it”

      Tell me how Lungu is making a big deal out of it?

      3) “he went to angola to make friends and alliances fo his presidency not for economic reasons”

      No kidding! To you RAIL & WATER agreements mean personal reasons?

      4) “the only reason why your lungu wont go for the angola deal is that his people in indeni oil deals with saudi connection will lose serious cash”

      Who told you EL is NOT for the…

    • @ndobo:

      4) “the only reason why your lungu wont go for the angola deal is that his people in indeni oil deals with saudi connection will lose serious cash”

      Who told you EL is NOT for the deal? Stop ubufi!

      5) “his people in indeni oil deals with saudi connection will lose serious cash”

      And who are “his people in indeni oil deals” that EL is so scared of NOT to rock the boat? These are the made-up stories I keep telling you I am not going to engage in!

      6) “…if many other countries who once deal with saudi ,, just changed in a heartbeat to deal with angola…”

      If this is a concern of yours, why in the world have been blabbing about EL NOT signing an oil deal instead he signed a water deal?

      7) C’mon now, stop going off on speculative tangents for no good reason…

    • I THOUGHT CRUDE OIL (OR AT LEAST REFINED OIL) WAS THE PRIORITY DEAL FOLLOWED BY OTHERS. IT IS GOOD TO HAVE THOSE DEALS. BUT THEN WHY NOT CONSTRUCT A CANAL WHICH CAN ACCOMMODATE LARGE CARGO (AND PASSENGER) VESSELS UP TO ZAMBIA SO THAT OUR CARGO CAN BE REACHING OUR PORTS IN ZAMBIA. LOOK AT OUR FRIENDS’ REFURBISHED RAILWAY! IT ISN’T LIKE OUR OIL-PAINTED ZRL AND TAZARA. IT REALLY LOOKS ‘NEW’. WHY DOES ZAMBIA ALWAYS GO FOR SUB-SUB-SUB STANDARDS? WE ANTICIPATED OIL AND NOT MERELY WATER WHICH WE HAVE IN ABUNDANCE EVEN WE CAN’T EVEN WATER RETICULATION IN TOWNS AND VILLAGES. IT’S A SHAME. EVERY TIME ZAMBIA IBWELAPO FYE NGA PAKUNYA.

    • @Jacob its the culture of appeasement, laziness and worship started under KK one party dictatorship. ..imagine
      the whole entire cabinet and veep to see off a president to Mfuwe…one day a plane is going to explode and wipe out the whole govt with all the overweight service chiefs.
      Why can’t the president be seen off by the duty manager at the airport or walked from the helicopter to the aircraft? Utter waste of taxpayers funds.

  2. Well done ur excellency,i had no doubt in my mind that I ws campaignin 4 the ryt man.jus look at thiz brilliant moves.and sir am still waitin 2 b appointed.

  3. Good – Keep enjoying from a stolen vote. HH must be weeping after you stole from him – kwena muli mpupu ba PF – ntolele fye. God is watching and He does not bless riches derived from croockedness because a curse is always the end result.

    • @Bwamba Chileshe, grow up and suck it up. Your president lost, move on. He knew the results even before they were published, that’s why he started whining before the end of the show. knowing how badly he wants it, instead of weeping, he would have put up a fight, produced the so called evidence and would have caught the court’s and our attention

    • You ain’t lying my man! These are people who believe HH can do anything, even commanding fire to rain from the havens—a “cult-sh” bunch really!

  4. Lungu blowing hot air blah blah blah blah blah blah marabishi yeka yeka….
    Lungu knows he is occupying that office without the constitution warrant to do so..stolen elections

  5. Haha,i weep for my poor country.

    The ratio of GDP,budget revenue,exports and other economic data measures between Angola and Zed is like 10 to 1.

    • And why is this so?!

      Could it be that oil is more valuable than copper at this point in the history of mankind? And should a 10 to 1 ratio then stop Zambia from dealing with Angola? Or maybe I just don’t get the point you are trying to make here. Please elaborate!

  6. I am okay with the movement of goods and services between the countries but not people especially when we have an election in 2016. This is an avenue of increasing ghost voters just like Wynter had confessed that he smuggled Kenyans to come vote for the late MCS. Let Angolans stay in their country. Additionally, lots of these foreign nationals from our neighbors are also part of the bogus investors stealing Zambian jobs and business. Before we have such agreements lets have a constitution that protects and safeguards Zambian interests at all costs.

  7. Just what I expected out of a smart, handsome lawyer president. Zambia will now continue on the path that Mwanawasa (MHSRIP) was taking us. Lungu, I can assure you will be the man this country has being waiting for. Like Obama says ” We are the ones we have been waiting for!”
    Bravo ECL!!!!!!

    • Everything PF does is politicking to you people. No wonder you are all slowly and surely sounding a bit irrelevant nowadays. Soon, no one will even pay an ounce of attention to anything you say.

      Bakalamba ba @KABOKO KAMUTI, please be serious; how can building up rail infrastructure which connects our country (any country for that matter) to the sea be a waste of taxpayers money? Maaaan…., even if you are such a frustrated person, this level of shallowness is simply being intellectually dead!!!

    • It’s the logistical structures that are first then the actual product movement, be objective for once, the oil deals are almost sealed update your self bwana.

  8. I employ the Zambian Police to consider arresting Rupiah Banda and charge him with taking over government unconstitutionally.

    I say so because currently, Rupiah Banda is the one ruling in Zambia despite him not being elected by the Zambian People.

    Nyamasoya has overrun the Kachasu Man and is the one in charge of persecuting the DPP so that his curt cases can be dropped. But this will not happen, just as he failed in 2011, even this time he will fail lamentably and the same Mutembo Nchito will be there to prosecute him harshly.

    And you Pres Lungu, no one is interested to hear what you went to Angola for. We all know that you went there to thank that dangerous president to his own people and ask for some more money to dress trees in PF regalia just as the Nyamasoya did in 2011.

    • Just nonsense through out. take a break and do some work instead of campaigning for your four time loser candidate…hakali ku loser.

  9. As long as the angolans wont redirect the water from the zambezi to use for their own country and leave us with very little…..

    • It is a shipping canal, NOT an irrigation or drinking water canal. By the way, that’s why agreements are made, agreed to, and signed!

  10. My president at work. I’m also encouraged how my President is’towering’ over other global Presidents. I think he is as tall as Obama if not inches taller. Diplomatically this give one an upper hand. As you may have noticed Angola will build the rail-line, give us oil and water system in Mongu. All President Lungu did is to show up.

    One for more thing; My President Lungu is so loved and admired by other presidents that they queing up to hand him presents. This is test of the good things to come.

  11. It is fascinating to see three leaders who speak three foreign official languages look for common good cause for their countries. May they succeed in their mission/s which is/are long overdue.

    • They may speak three different languages but the other two speak one language fluently which is corruption. …Lungu is on a fast track course being tutored by RB.

    • Jay jay, thanks for that observation. I suppose this calls forth for your vigilance and mine to spread the fight against corruption through civic education at local level.

      Remember, the grass root has the voting power.

  12. yambayamba…

    Use your brains….instead of getting oil from angola which is our neighbour, zambia signs with Saudi Arabia……
    you are intelectually dead yamba yamba

    why sign a deal concerning Water and not oil?

    • @KABOKO KAMUTI, the oil deal with Angola is STILL BEING NEGOTIATED! What is wrong with you people!?

      And what is wrong with Zambia negotiating/signing another oil deal with Saudi Arabia? Don’t you think that this gives Zambia some flexibility, stability, and oil security? Don’t you think it is vital that if one country acts up, at least we still have other negotiated sources oil intact? How can you NOT see any wisdom in this? Hell, in fact I say let us negotiate/sign even more oil deals with some West African countries so that we have as many options at our disposal as possible. Especially that the rail infrastructure to the sea (Atlantic Ocean) has now become a priority. This will give us the needed leverage in our oil deals. NOT SO BUDDY?

  13. @mamam africa. The Zambezi actually passes through Angola. From the source in North Western province, it passes through Angola before re entering Zambia through Western province. Your insecurities about Angola redirecting The Zambezi water are dumb founded.

  14. @Yambayamba. Don’t bother with chaps like Ndobo they will only subtract from your knowledge. These chaps find it painful to engage with their brains

  15. Angola, a country with which Zambia shares a long border, is a giant economy in Africa. The two countries have a long history that goes back for well over a hundred years; including the period when the Kamalatas – the MPLA freedom fighters – were fighting for the independence of their country. Indeed there is no other country in Africa, that can be a better strategic partner to Zambia, economically and otherwise, than Angola.

  16. Zambians especially cadres do not read….this project hasn’t been initiated last week what do you think Kavindele has been doing for the past 8 years bootlicking incumbents so things can get a go ahead.
    Farmers and SME should be rubbing their hands with glee as there is opportunities in Angola and DRC.

  17. @ndobo,Jay Jay, and th objective yambayamba, I see you are pain to convise each other on why we get oil for Saudi Arabia when we have it next door, the oil in Angola was just recently discovered, while it’s good grade it requires more advanced technologies than the one at indent to refine, Angola is trying to work on technology while hoping a more friendlier grade may come with time, thats the simple reason why agreements are delayed..President Lungu didn’t go to commission any project he was invited by his Angolian counterpart and witnessed Angola’s bengwela being commissioned in the company of Kabila..

    • And why are you including me in this post? Of course the only products at the moment we can obtain from Angola are finished oil products.

    • Chinyama u hav made sense,i ws thinkin the same aswell,otherwise no 1 would want to get expensive oil frm very far wen we hav sum jus nxt door,morova angola is nat known 4 its oil bt 4 its diamonds.

  18. The same lazy people were seeing him off and are seeing him back. When are they going to work? Zambia the real Africa for sure

  19. We all want good for Zambia and as such we will give praise, support and encouragement where it is due. I personally like the idea of regionally integrated economic development. The alliance with our neighbors should be encouraged and this is a good move by the government. There is a lot of wealth in the western and northwestern regions of Zambia and the infrastructural development suggested here is critical to the tapping of this wealth. Our forestry, fishing and general agricultural sector will benefit a lot from this. Lets hope that this development comes to fruition soon and is managed better than TAZARA. Good for lungu and I hope he succeeds. Management, management and I repeat MANAGEMENT will be key lets see how he does.

  20. Wow. At long last. That railway deal has finally come to pass. Hope to see it functional ASAP.

    Congrats to the govt for making it happen. It was a bold and necessary step needed to ease the logistics between the two countries and the region and beyond.

    Bravo to the President for a leap forward into development.

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