Kazungula: A Bridge to Afrikan prosperity!

The official commissioning of the P2billion Kazungula Bridge and One Stop Border Post facility on Monday, 10th May 2021 marked yet another milestone in Afrika’s interrupted development!

Yes, interrupted development, because had it not been for slavery and colonialism, Afrika would have charted for herself a unique economic development model – an antithesis of capitalism. Afrikans naturally and by customary tradition, defer to socialism! Growing up in the crop fields and at the cattle ranches as young boys and girls, we would share a meal from the same plate! Now this was the quintessential example of community – communalism or if you may, socialism!

The spirit of doing things together is innate in Afrikans – we would plough the fields together, weed together, harvest together and even feast together to thank our Gods for the bumper or plentiful harvest. Thus it’s not surprising that post-independence, we have survived (although not entirely) the debilitating effects of a foreign culture that was forcibly imposed on us by colonialists and imperialists – to chart a new path for ourselves, its perils notwithstanding. So, when Chairperson of the African Union (AU) President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) inaugurated the Kazungula Bridge and One Stop Border Facilities this week Monday, thoughts of Afrika’s might came flooding through my mind. Here is an iconic, grandiose structure strategically built at the confluence of the Zambezi River, where Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe meets – a monument that signals the potential of strength in unity. It is a perfect practical expression of the many visions and platitudes that Afrika’s leaders are wont to make at their habitual conclaves! Thankfully, this time the two leaders of Botswana and Zambia, acted in accord to show to Afrika and the rest of the world what unity of purpose can achieve for us and our posterity. I was even reminded of the mighty Akosombo Dam on the Volta River which was constructed as early as 1961, or better still, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) – which sadly has become a source of conflict between neighbouring countries – Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan – when in actual fact, it ought to be a pride of regional integration. But, of-course we know and understand the neo-colonial undercurrents that pervade the entire fabric of Afrika’s development efforts, which render our leaders’ attempts at extricating from their economic grip, vain. It is this predicament that explains the sudden wars and conflicts across the width and breadth of Afrika. These are engineered conflicts, designed to hoodwink us with a perfectly packaged mirage presented to our leaders as ‘power’, when in truth and fact, it is nothing else but a ‘placebo’. It was however, so gratifying to see President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana, President Edgar Lungu of Zambia and President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe joined in one accord to commit to the cause of Pan Afrikanism. Indeed, this bridge is not just an iconic symbol of infrastructure, but if the very essence of the meaning of free trade, as espoused by the SADC Trade Protocol and contained in the other documents of our supra-national institutions, such as the Agenda 2063 of the AU, and the recently-signed Afrikan Continental Free Trade Area (AcFTA). While this bridge sits at the confluence of Zambezi and connects these four countries, unfortunately only two – Botswana and Zambia – sponsored the project with the help of international cooperating partners – the Afrikan Development Bank (AfDB), Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the European Union (EU). It was however, gratifying to hear Mnangagwa announce that his country would in the “fullness of time” join the project and to hear from Masisi that indeed work is ongoing to finalise Zimbabwe’s membership to the project.

There is also hope that Namibia will also join this project. Eventually, this is the meaning of regional integration – it means joint ownership of infrastructure, it means the breaking down of barriers to trade by simplified border management systems, as exemplified by the One-Stop Border Post on the Botswana side. We express our sincerest gratitude to the Japanese government and peoples for the technical support in facilitating this OSBP, as well as the other at the Mamuno Border Post between Botswana and Namibia. It was also gratifying to hear that the DRC and Zambia will also consider emulating this project by constructing a similar bridge to connect them. With this bridge, we are now assured of improved intra-Afrika trade. I am confident that the presence of both the executive secretary of SADC and the COMESA secretary general will awaken the leaders of the two regional economic communities to the necessity of common infrastructural projects and infrastructure to aid trade not only in the region but even across the continent under the aegis of AcFTA. In the words of Marcus Mosiah Garvey – ‘Up, up, you might race you can accomplish what you will!’ It is indeed gratifying that this Bridge and OSBP were commissioned during Afrika Month.

about a good or bad feeling about the core of who we are as a people. A typical example is that some of us can still remember a word or message delivered decades ago by a teacher, friend, pastor, spouse, siblings, or any person in our lives and this is a demonstration of the power of words as they shape our social and emotional connectedness as unique beings. This explains the importance of exploring edification as one socio-emotional strategy for building or destroying self-esteem in the lives of others that we live with and how we can help all of us in taking responsibility as families and working communities in any relational context. The word edification has the root word of edifice which essentially means a construction that is profoundly large, present and has influence in the context within which it exists. To bring about edification then it implies one has some level of influence that is positive, supportive, encouraging, strengthening and consequently leading to spiritual growth with moral development and improvement. In that respect, edification in the life of the other will come through various modes of engagement which may include offering guidance, teaching and training as well as counselling, leading to increased sense of self-development. This increased positive sense of self is characterised in our desire in building, strengthening, enlightening, establishing and uplifting in thoughts, perceptions, emotions and or belief system leading to increased quality life in the other. Edification is witnessed in our investment in promoting and improving the other person, and because there is a reflected glory we are encouraged therefore that all of us should pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another (Romans 14:19).

The question is how then we bring the edification apart from the structured processes already mentioned above for surely, it takes awareness and consciousness that we have the ability to influence thinking patterns of other people. Once this consciousness is raised in our level of awareness then we can become intentional in promoting it in the lives of other people. This will consequently come with the attitude we bring in all our social connectedness, choice of language, emotional investment, supporting and elevating the good we see in other people. In esteeming others, Philippians 2:3-4 makes an important exhortation to ‘do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Jesus made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness’. So ‘if God is for us, who can be against us?’ hence we should strive to ‘encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact we are doing’ and ‘may the God who gives endurance and encouragement give us the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had’. Once we can collectively strive in their virtuous efforts, we are likely to promote a godly-spirit that brings out the very best in us all as we seek to grow in peacebuilding and life skills development to benefit self, family, community, nation and the global society.