Floods bring havoc in Kazungula

The water levels at the Kazungula border post across the Zambezi River has continued to rise making it difficult for the pontoons to dock.

The situation has resulted from the continued heavy rainfall that has beeng experienced in the area the past few days.

A check by ZANIS at the border post reviewed that pontoons are now taking as long as 15 minutes to cross over the Zambezi river as opposed to the usual five minutes journey to reach the other side of the river.

One of the truck drivers interviewed on condition that he remains anonymous, said the rising water levels at the border post has increased the water current making the pontoons’ movements across the Zambezi River to be slow.

He said the situation has added on to the already existing congestion of trucks at the border post.

The man wondered why the construction of a Bridge across the Zambezi river at the border post was taking too long to be implemented.

He however, expressed hope that the new government under the Patriotic Front (PF) would look into the matter and speed up the process.

In a related development, people of Kanchele area in Kazungula district are in dare need of a bridge across Ngwezi River as they are now cut off from the rest of the district.

Area Ward Councilor Bernard Siloka said people’s movements are now restricted following the heavy rainfall being experienced which has resulted in over flooding of the Ngwezi stream.

Mr Siloka said people in his area no longer cross the river on foot as they used to do for fear of being swept away by the strong current.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Kazungula yesterday, Mr Siloka said there is need to construct the long awaited Nanyati Bridge across the Ngwezi stream to easy the movements of people.

Mr Siloka charged that people have now resorted to use a long route to connect to Livingstone town by Nyawa-Zimba route.

He said people from Makunka can no longer go to Kanchele and vice versa due to non availability of a bridge across Ngwezi River adding that school going children are the most disadvantaged.

In another development, Simango Ward Councilor Fackson Inonge has said expecting mothers in his ward are finding it difficult to use the only reliable route of Simango-Kabuyu road when referred to Livingstone General Hospital due to its bad state.

Mr Inonge said the road is in a terrible state especially during the rainy season and called upon relevant authorities to intervene on the matter.

ZANIS