•CANOES for hire which are used to cross the treacherous Kafue River in Kitwe.

By MAYA NTANDA –

CROSSING the crocodile infested Kafue River at Kitwe’s Mufuchani area has been a nightmare to the residents for a long time as many lives have continued to be lost because there is no bridge.
People hire canoes to cross the river which sometimes capsized leaving them dead or injured by crocodiles.
The hiring of canoes is also a cost to those doing so because of the number of times they used the vessels.
This problem would soon be over because the construction of the Mufuchani Bridge across the crocodile infested Kafue River is finally becoming a reality.
Recently, Government handed over the K17 million Mufuchani Housing Unit and two church buildings to residents who have been displaced to pave way for the construction of the bridge at a colorful ceremony organised by Road Development Agency (RDA).
The Houses and two Churches constructed under the Mufuchani Resettlement Action Programme is part of the Mufuchani bridge project under the RDA with funding from the World Bank.
The World Bank had offered to provide funding for the construction of the bridge on condition that residents living within the banks of the Kafue River where the bridge is to be erected are resettled with houses constructed for them.
With the handing over of the complete 57 houses and two churches on January 17, this year, which was the first step in the construction of the Mufuchani bridge, works on the bridge are expected to commence.
The construction of the K60 million Mufuchani Bridge will open a window of development for Kitwe District as presently, residents of Mufuchani farming bloc, Riverside and Chipata areas rely on canoes and a pontoon which only operates during the day to cross to either side of the river.
At times, and the most affected are Mufuchani residents who are cut off from the rest of Kitwe especially at night and cannot access medical attention, resulting in preventable deaths.
Kwacha Member of Parliament Bonny Mutale whose Mufuchani bridge project will be under his constituency, said the construction of the bridge  was becoming a reality under the Patriotic Front (PF) Government when previous Governments failed to do so.
Mr Mutale said a lot of people had died while crossing the Kafue river at the point where  the bridge is expected to be constructed and cited the 1976 incident where 66 people died when a boat there where in capsized.
The area parliamentarian recalled that a lot of lives have been lost in crocodile attacks when residents attempt to conduct their daily chores.
“The Mufuchani Bridge is a major milestone for the PF Government. The bridge will alleviate the suffering of the people by providing quicker access for the transportation of agricultural products, access to health, school, markets and other social amenities.
“The bridge will also contribute to the reduction of loss of lives which have been recorded with the highest incident where 66 lives were lost in 1976,” he said.
Mr Mutale appealed to the beneficiaries of the structures not to sell the houses as they were handed over with the aim of enhancing the social -economic status of Kitwe.
Works, Supply and Communication Minister Yamfwa Mukanga, said President Michael Sata attaches great importance to infrastructure development and wanted to see Zambia changed for the better.
Mr Mukanga said the construction works were being done in line with Government’s policy to accelerate national development through construction of critical infrastructures and in order to facilitate the Mufuchani bridge project.
He said it was necessary to relocate households that were settled in the alignment of the bridge and approach roads.
“The construction of Mufuchani Bridge has immense benefits to the people of Mufuchani and the country in general, the construction of the bridge will also alleviate the suffering of the residents of Mufuchani and Ipusukilo townships who cross the Kafue River every day,” he said.
Kitwe mayor Chileshe Bweupe said the construction of the bridge was an opportunity to open up the city on the other side as well as to decongest the central business district.
Mr Bweupe said the people of Kitwe had an opportunity to develop a new city which will have everything from a central business district to residential development, an industrial park, and indeed farms.
He said the construction of the bridge was of great importance and holds the key to the future of the city and that there was a belief that the land across the Kafue River was the same size as the current city.
“Guest of honour the question you should be asking yourself and the question I want every citizen of this city to ask themselves is where does this bridge lead to and what does this bridge mean to the greater city of Kitwe?
“The answer is that the construction of the bridge gives us an opportunity to open up the city on the other side as well as decongest our current central business district,” he said.
Mr Bweupe said he was a proud mayor of the great city of Kitwe because what was being witnessed was something that residents of Kitwe had been waiting for, for a very long time.
He said the story of the bridge across the Kafue river had been going on and that the people had lost hope that it was just a campaign gimmick each time elections drew close or just mere wishful thinking under the UNIP and MMD Governments.
Kellies Mubanga, a resident of Musonda Township said had no greater words than to say but to thank the Government.
Mr Mubanga said not only was the Government constructing a bridge for the community but it had also ensured that they were offered decent houses compared to the ones they were living in.
Another resident, Kennedy Chisenga life would easy because crossing the river would no longer be an obstacle.
Mr Chisenga said the beneficiaries will not sale the houses, promised to look after the properties and ensure that their children benefited from them.
It is anticipated that the construction of the bridge will bring sustainable development to the region especially agriculture because many people depend on the sector for a livelihood.
It is therefore anticipated that the Mufuchani Bridge will directly result in the reduction of travelling time and loss of lives.