Donald Kaberuka visited the project site this week and expressed concern over the huge economic cost to the Southern African region caused by delays in constructing the bridge. He saw first-hand a long queue of trucks waiting to use old ferries from both sides of the border crossing between Zambia and Botswana.
“Kazungula Bridge project is the most important project that the Bank is currently financing on the continent,” Kaberuka said, adding: “It is unacceptable to have about 100 trucks on either side of the Zambezi River taking up to two weeks at the border posts before crossing.”
He stressed the need to accelerate the resolution of any pending procurement and administrative issues delaying the start of bridge construction. Kaberuka pledged continued support for the project and said that the bank stands ready to bridge any financing gap should the two governments approach it for further assistance.
The Kazungula Bridge is a multi-national project on the North-South corridor on the Zambezi River. The bridge construction is expected to take four years at a cost of US$259 million. The project is being funded by loans from the African Development Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as well as contributions from the governments of Zambia and Botswana.
