By BRIAN HATYOKA –
ZAMBIA and Botswana have finally signed a contract with Daewoo Engineering and Construction of South Korea for the construction of a road and rail bridge across the Zambezi at Kazungula border.
The 923-metre long bridge, which will be constructed within four years, will create about 2,000 jobs in both countries during the construction period.
Zambia’s Road Development Agency (RDA) chief executive officer Bernard Chiwala, Botswana’s Transport Hub coordinator Goitsemang Morekisi and Daewoo vice-president Kim Hong signed the contract at Protea Hotel in Livingstone yesterday.
The US$161,961,304.84 contract has been funded by Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA), Africa Development Bank (AfDB) and the governments of Zambia and Botswana.
Botswana Vice-President Ponatshego Kedikilwe is expected to officiate at the ground-breaking ceremony for the bridge on the Botswana side on Friday next week.
Speaking during the signing ceremony in Livingstone yesterday, Mr Chiwala said the event had signaled the start of construction of the landmark and mammoth project.