Ministry if Information and Media Director Spokesperson, Henry Kapata says the presence of five African heads of state at President Hakainde Hichilema’s inauguration has put a spotlight on the growing network of billions of dollars in infrastructure, energy, trade and investment opportunities built around Zambia’s geographical position.
Mr Kapata says President William Ruto of Kenya, President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania, President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia and President Duma Boko of Botswana joined other international representatives at National Heroes Stadium on September 1.
He observed that their presence was significant because each country sits within an increasingly connected economic network around Zambia. Railways, highways, bridges, border posts, electricity interconnectors, pipelines, mining supply chains and trade corridors are creating physical links between Zambia and markets stretching from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic.
Mr Kapata indicated that President Nandi-Ndaitwah has already indicated Namibia’s willingness to work closely with Zambia to strengthen the infrastructure needed to make trade between the two countries smoother saying the relationship is part of a wider western connection that includes the Walvis Bay route and the Lobito Corridor, opening Zambia to Atlantic markets.
The Ministry of Information and Media Director Spokesperson told the media that to the east, Tanzania is central to the revival of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority, or TAZARA.
He said Zambia, Tanzania and China have signed a US$1.4 billion agreement to revitalise the railway, strengthening the connection between Zambia’s Copperbelt and the Port of Dar es Salaam.
“China’s involvement also demonstrates how Zambia’s regional infrastructure agenda is attracting partnerships beyond Africa, ” said Mr Kapata.
On the United States, Mr Kapata says the United States is similarly connected to Zambia’s western economic ambitions through its support for the Lobito Corridor and broader cooperation around critical minerals and infrastructure.
He said the corridor is intended to create a faster route from the mineral-rich Copperbelt region towards Angola’s Atlantic coast.
On Zimbabwe, Mr Kapata noted that the country provides another dimension of the network, saying the two countries are deepening cooperation in energy, transport and border infrastructure, including the Batoka Gorge Hydroelectric Scheme, a proposed 2,400-megawatt project to be shared equally between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
“The two countries are also working to improve cross-border movement and trade through their major border posts,” he said.
For Botswana, Mr Kapata said it provides the southern connection saying the Kazungula Bridge has already changed the movement of goods across the Zambezi, while Zambia and Botswana are working towards improving border operations and increasing the volume of traffic through the corridor.
He noted that the objective is increasingly clear: trucks should move more efficiently, goods should move in both directions and the infrastructure should generate greater economic activity on either side of the border.
Mr Kapata said Kenya adds an eastern market and a wider gateway to East Africa. Zambia’s ambition to produce 10 million tonnes of maize, three million tonnes of soya beans and one million tonnes of wheat creates a need for large regional markets.
Mr Kapata further added that Kenya, with its significant food demand and established logistics and commercial networks, is one of the markets Zambia can increasingly connect to through improved regional infrastructure.
Follow the story
