The Japanese government has committed to construct a bridge across the Luangwa river on the Great East road to replace the existing suspended bridge. Japan is also willing to give Zambia a grant to construct the bridge.
Japanese Deputy Minister of Lands Infrastructure Transport and Tourism Yoshiyuki Aoki revealed this when he met Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development Ronald Chitotela in Johannesburg, South Africa.
And Mr. Chitotela says a team of experts from Japan will be visiting Zambia to carry out an assessment on the type of bridge to put up and how much it will cost.
Mr. Chitotela says the Japanese government has since directed the Japanese Ambassador to Zambia to write a formal letter to the Zambian government on his country’s commitment to construct the bridge.
And Mr. Chitotela said the Luangwa bridge is important to Zambia as it is a gateway to the Port of Nacala in Mozambique.
He added that the suspended bridge has a disadvantage as it only allows one vehicle to cross at a time.
Mr. Chitotela further said the new bridge will boost trade and traffic volume between Zambia and the international community through the Port of Nacala in Mozambique.
Mr. Chitotela, together with three other Cabinet Ministers was in Johannesburg South Africa to attend the Japan-Africa Public-Private Economic Forum which was held in view of accelerating promotion of private-sector-led economic growth.
Meanwhile, The construction of the One-Million-US-Dollar Katembula dam in Lufwanyama district is almost complete and expected to be commissioned by President Edgar Lungu in two weeks’ time.
The dam which is one of the major projects on the Copperbelt is expected to store over 3 million cubic litres of water for domestic and commercial activities in Lufwanyama district.
Copperbelt Province Permanent Secretary Bright Nundwe says the completion of Katembula dam will address the water supply challenges that the people have been facing for a long time.
And Chieftainess Shimukunami of the Lamba people of Lufwanyama said the district has recorded meaningful development because of the good governance and leadership of President Lungu.
She said the people in her chiefdom are appreciating the leadership of President Lungu for honouring his promise to improve water supply in the area.
If you want to link Zambia with Mozambique, go and construct a bridge at the Zambezi-Luangwa confluence in Luangwa district
someone from Japan has to think for them….
And provide them money as we’ll
Their only job is to consume oxygen and steal
Chitotela is already rubbing his hands on this deal am sure
What’s wrong with the current bridge?
As usual UPND cadres spreading Negativity here when it ahs always been clear that GRZ has always wanted a better bridge than the current one albeit the lack of funds. SADC has identified the Chipata Malawi and Moz. as a better priority than just Feira-Moz. If you UPND can count you will also see that this will amount to 3 Countries and not two. Further infrastructure already in in place on the corridor this will just be a clearing of one of the bottle necks.
Lazy foooools they would rather buy overpriced Fire Trucks and Ambulances than build themselves….everything is begging, please don’t give corrupt Chitotela any grants just build it yourself.
ANjobvu namwe the article clearly says the bridge would facilitate movement of goods to and from the deepest port at Nacala .. do you realise this would make our imports to be cheaper because Nacala is closer to us than Durban and Walvis Bay and you talk of Luangwa where people trade in ground nuts and fish???
My Thoughts also Peter. Leave that bridge. Unless it has reached its design capacity and can not withstand the traffic volume then you can demolish it. But if it still has a life span, I suggest we construct another bridge somewhere else.
After all these years Zambian civil engineers cannot construct a bridge into a residential drive away. What a shame !
Unza has been producing graduates in engineering from time in memorial but the guys can’t come up with anything practical. I wonder how they even manage to graduate without engineering anything to be appreciated by the people. You will be surprised that they are the ones in fore front sourcing for foreign engineers to carry out such projects. Shame indeed. If you’re a Zambian and call yourself an engineer do us a favour by surrendering that document to unza.
You will be surprised at how many of us engineers from UNZA are doing so well abroad. Zambia is a failed state, you just can’t see it. Go around in Australia where you are and count the number of Zambian engineers.
@2Maganizo and @2.1 Oval Head.. ZAMBIA ENGINEERS ARE NOT FINANCIERS OF PROJECTS, THEY ARE VERY GOOD TECHNICAL EXPERTS WHO HAVE BEEN DROWNED BY A ROTTEN POLITICAL SYSTEM!! Like @2.2 Ts@gmail. has said, go around Australia,S.Africa even in the UK and USA and other countries you will find VERY GOOD ZAMBIAN ENGINEERS!! During KK’s days our Engineers were very active because we had an active industrial base mainly run by government, parastatal, today we have foreigners bringing in money to do every little bit, therefore they dictate how that money can used! EVEN IF THE JAPANESE WILL FINANCE THIS PROJECT, IT WILL BE SUPERVISED BY ZAMBIAN ENGINEERS AT RDA, LIKE THE KAZUNGULA BRIDGE AND OTHER PROJECTS!!
@Zambiaisours, its just the inferiority complexes you so called Zambian engineers have, that you can only function in well developed environments where mentorships, finance, and other infrastructure exist. You can never start projects in Zambia from start to finish. You just want to be spoon fed everything before you can even think. And you are so quick to blame shoddy work by the artisans you left behind. At least they are trying while you play second fiddle at half your worth (pay) abroad. Common bane just keep your foo. lish pride away from those who doing something. Shame
Zambian Engineers are employees …where are they going to find funds to build…on top of that building in a country like Zambia is too risky.
This is what happens when you are getting all these EXIM Bank loans that have no value to the sector as Engineers are foreign and main contractor is foreign…there is no clauses for apprenticeship ..once the main contract completes the project he is gone no skills transfer nothing.
@2.4 Hakainde, Most Zambian Engineers just like other professionals want to contribute in a professional way and NOT in a dirty, corrupt manner!Some have tried to form companies but they could not be awarded tenders when they refused to act unprofessionally for example to lower specifications and inflate costs bcoz they know its unprofessional, un patriotic and immoral. So the corrupt powers sideline these well meaning people and choose to work with corrupt foreigners and under qualified locals.There are some Zambian Engineers running reasonably sized construction and consulting firms in countries with good operating environments like Botswana,S.Africa.This bad business and political environment affects all professions;that why our towns and cities are not planned,since land allocation…
..continued from 2.6..This bad business and political environment affects all professions;that why our towns and cities are not planned,since land allocation is done by political cadres, town,city and country planners, architects have been pushed aside. People rush to S.Africa,India for treatment not bcoz our Doctors don’t know work but bcoz hospitals are not well equipped,…. our Food Technologists, Biochemists and Chemists had worked hard to create our own soft drinks, bathing soap,washing detergents,toothpastes, beer brands,cooking oil but they were neglected and thrown away through reckless privatization and today everything we consume is foreign!You can go on with all sectors!! The PROBLEM IN ZAMBIA IS WE BLAME THE VICTIM NOT THE CULPRIT,WE LACK DEEP REFLECTION TO ATTACK CAUSES BUT…
These are projects MMD should have considered when they grabbed power from UNIP in 1991. Sadly instead of considering building such infrastructure developments including a railway line linking Malawi and Mozambique like UNIP did with Tanzania (Tazara), they went on dismantling all industries like LENCO and many more. Today we could have been considering even digging a canal linking Zambezi River with the lndian ocean (like Egypt did with the Suez canal) and bringing in goods into the country by river transport. This is what it means to be independent; creating jobs for the people.
Too much a dream. Don’t think in two dimension but three. The elevation of Zambia above see level is too much for a canal unless you have money like in Canada where they have elevation weirs/gates on the St Lawrence Sea Way.
Good project. Let’s support it.
You simply type those words without shame!!
That luangwa bridge is long over due. But my advice would be to still leave the current small bridge & support it with the new. Dont demolish. But also zambians must think of opening other routes to make other parts of the country accessible & bring development there. This thing of 1 road from Lsk to Chipata. 1 road from Lsk to kasama. 1 road from LSk to LIvingstone. What hapens to all the bushes in other parts were roads are not there? The only way this country will have hope of development is when so called feeder roads are expanded to open up access to lands for farming
I am glad its the Japanese doing it.
LOL bridge on the river kwai
These guys need to open up Muchinga Province to Eastern province by leaking Chinsali to Chama instead of this project .Zambian cannot afford to waste money on a project that is already there and working fine .
WHATS WRONG WITH THE CURRENT BRIDGE…?????
@8 EB Hibalwa.. the article says “He added that the suspended bridge has a disadvantage as it only allows one vehicle to cross at a time”.
No money in the pocket
In this day and age you can not have one vehicle passing through at a time!!
There are many other places that r using pontoons to cross. Why not put bridges there instead of putting a bridge where theres one oredy?
I don’t see anything wrong with Zambian technical expertise.
It’s just that most of engineers are very weak entrepreneurs due to lack of emphasis on the business side of engineering.
Most of our engineers are job seekers and happy just being employed.
Our foreign partners are exploiting a space left us.
I agree with Beyond Reproach. Zambians lack entrepreneurial confidence. Entrepreneurship is left to traders who also go into it as a last option due to lack of formal employment.
HaFuu is HaJealous Hagain! Bitterness is a bad disease of the heart! HH and his “entourage” in the tribal upbringing “party” suffer from it!
ITS EASY TO BE A CABINET MINISTER IN ZAMBIA, JUST MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS BEING PROPAGATED BY FOREIGNERS
It is a Suspension Bridge and not a Suspended Bridge. That type of bridge does not exist.