Senanga, Zambia
Kabbe Constituency Councillor Raphael Mbala, who doubles as chairperson of the Zambezi Regional Council, is in doubt whether the road currently being constructed in the eastern Zambezi floodplains would be able to withstand floods.
Both Kabbe north and south constituencies that fall under the authority of Mbala face perennial floods that result in impassable roads and the relocation of thousands of residents and their livestock to higher ground.
Mbala was skeptical when in Zambia recently where he was part of Zambezi Regional Governor Lawrence Sampofu’s delegation that was on a familiarisation visit of developmental projects in that country.
According to him, the project, which will cost government over N$440 million over a three-year period, is not viable and may jeopardise government coffers as it would require constant repair due to the pressure of floodwaters. “The bridge that is being put up back home may not be sustainable as what we are building there is not a bridge but only culverts. It may not stay permanent and would not survive the highest peak of floods. The area carries a high volume of water. It would be better if we could have put up bridges that would allow the free flow of water,” said Mbala in reference to the Mongu–Kalabo bridge that traverses a stretch of about 35 kilometres of the Barotse floodplains in western Zambia. Mbala consistently commented on the similarities in terrain between the Barotse floodplains and that of eastern Zambezi.
His assertion was supported by governor Sampofu who added that culverts were put up in 2002 from the Isize area leading to the floodplains, but ended up being washed away by floodwaters. “From what we have seen here in Zambia, these are strong bridges as compared to what we are currently building. We are not engineers but as laymen we can see that there’s a big difference,” said Sampofu.
An engineering masterpiece, the Mongu-Kalabo bridge covers a distance of about 35 kilometres in the Barotse floodplains and is likely to aid thousands of indigenous Zambians, who depend on water transport to get to either area because of the Zambezi River and recurrent floods.
The bridge that will cost the Zambian government over ZK286 million is being built by a Chinese company Avic International and is scheduled to be completed by the end of next year.