By CHUSA SICHONE –

COOPERATING partners have agreed to source for funds to rehabilitate the Kariba Dam after a request by Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) spokesperson Elizabeth Karonga said in a statement yesterday that ZRA recently hosted representatives from the African Development Bank (AfDB), European Union, Swedish Embassy to Zambia and the World Bank Group (WBG) to finalise preparations in support of the Kariba Dam rehabilitation.
“The rehabilitation works are estimated to be in excess of US$280 million. The Cooperating Partners have responded to a request from the project,” she said.
Ms Karonga said the EU intended to mobilise $100 million, while the WBG and AfDB proposed to finance $75 million each and the Swedish government was considering covering another $30 million.
She said the balance would be counterpart funds from the ZRA, which is the bi-national organisation managing the Zambezi River on behalf of the governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Speaking at the end of a series of meetings between the cooperating partners and officials from the two governments over the past three weeks, ZRA chief executive Munyaradzi Munodawafa said the talks were fruitful.
“The outcome of the meetings between the two governments and the cooperating partners have been successful. A number of issues relating to implementation were discussed, which paves the way to ensure the rehabilitation works are adequately funded,” he said.
The Kariba Dam and Hydro-Electric Scheme (HES) was constructed across the Zambezi River between 1956 and 1959 and has been central to energy security and support of economic development in both Zambia and Zimbabwe.
After 50 years of operation serving the Southern African region, the Kariba Dam now requires rehabilitation works for its continued safe operations as the failure to invest in the timely rehabilitation of the dam would result in the gradual degradation of key dam safety features to a level below international standards.