THE AFRICAN STORY ADVERTISE WITH US DON’T BE LEFT BEHIND ISSUE NUMBER 769 VOLUME 2 17 - 23 MAY 2021 Rapid tests up Zimbabwe’s COVID-19 diagnosis page 3 From Africa to the World – The Music of Sereetsi & ZAMBIA- DRC The Natives REGIONAL INTEGRATION page 12 PROJECT GAINS Maroo Mobile Safaris – MOMENTUM Adventure Awaits -The two countries undertake the Kasomeno- Mwenda toll road-Bridge-borderpost project -Project to decongest traffic at Kasumbalesa Border page 12 2 Echo Report Echo Newspaper 17 May - 23 May 2021 THE AFRICAN STORY News, Finance, Travel and Sport Telephone: (267) 3933 805/6. E-mail: newsdesk@echo. co.bw Advertising Telephone: (267) 3933 805/6 E-mail: [email protected] Sales & Marketing PIC: Artists impression ,Hon. Manager Nickson Chilangwa, MP Ruele Ramoeng [email protected] Editor Bright Kholi [email protected] After Kazungula Bridge: Zambia Head of Design Ame Kolobetso undertakes Kasomeno-Mwenda toll [email protected] Distribution & Circulation Mogapi Ketletseng road-Bridge-borderpost project with DRC [email protected] Echo is published by Following the commissioning facility incorporating road, bridge that crosses the Zambezi Development (GED) Projects YMH Publishing of the Kazungula Bridge and a bridge, airstrip and tolling River was attended by 5 heads Africa Zambia Limited and the YMH Publishing, Unit 3, Kgale Court, Plot 128, one stop border by Botswana facilities. The two countries of state – the hosts President Governments of Zambia (GRZ) GIFP, Gaborone and Zambia last week, a project signed a Memorandum of Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana and the Democratic Republic of Postal address: hailed a regional integration Understanding on the project and Lungu of Zambia, as well Congo (DRC). P O BOX 840, and continental success story, in 2019. as Emmerson Mnangagwa of The concessionaire has Gaborone, another equally critical regional On the Kazungula Bridge and Zimbabwe, SADC Chair Phillipe signed separate concession Botswana Telephone: (267) 3933 805/6. integration project is about to One stop border on both the Nyusi of Mozambique and AU agreements with the respective E-mail: [email protected] commence between Zambia Botswana and Zambian sides, Chair Tshisekedi. South Africa, governments. (Additional www.echo.co.bw and Democratic Republic of President Lungu highlighted Namibia and the Kingdom of information: Road Development Congo (DRC). that the infrastructure was Iswatini were also represented. Agency-Zambia). DISCLAIMER: The highly anticipated project worth the effort since movement Echo Newspaper welcomes concise letters from readers. between the two countries of transit traffic at the border About Kasomeno Mwenda About Kazungula Bridge Letters must carry the will further promote regional will improve due to the greatly toll road -bridge- borderpost and One stop bridge Project full name and address of integration in the region and reduced border transit time and project the sender. Letters must promote intra-regional trade. improved border management The Project involves upgrading The Government of the conform to the laws of With improved movement of processes. 85km of the Chalwe to Mwenda Republic of Zambia, through Botswana and to the Press Council of Botswana’s Code goods along the South-North “This will result in the increase Road and construction of a new the Road Development Agency Of Ethics. Letters will also be corridor through, the newly in trade, competitiveness, bridge across the Luapula River and the Republic of Botswana edited for length, libel and commissioned Kazungula job creation, tourism and at Chalwe. Once upgraded, the through the Ministry of language. Bridge, the upcoming project the development of local new route is anticipated to Transport and Communication, will further complement the communities,” he said. significantly reduce travel times. embarked on the Kazungula easing of movement in goods Lungu said the completion of The scope also includes the Bridge Project (KBP) to construct and people into East, Central project was timely as it would construction of a new road and the Kazungula Bridge across the and North Africa. facilitate intra-Africa trade. He associated border controls and Zambezi River and One Stop Speaking during the said the development will give toll plazas between Kasomeno Border Post (OSBP) facilities commissioning of the Kazungula impetus to the implementation of in the Democratic Republic of in both countries. Bridge last week, President SADC- East African Community Congo (DRC) and Mwenda in The Project was divided into Edgar Lungu of Zambia said Common Market for Eastern and Zambia. three packages as follows: his country and the DRC are on Southern Africa -SADC – EASA- Key elements of the project Package 1 – Construction the way of putting up a similar COMESA Tripartite Free trade include: 182 km of new single of Kazungula Bridge and Read more Echo project between their two area and African Continental carriageway road. 96km of the Approach Ramps; Package 2 stories on our countries. He said the project, Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). road is situated in the DRC and 86 – Construction of One Stop Facebook page by named the Kasomeno Mwenda “This facility is a critical km in Zambia and Construction Border Post (Botswana); and Tour Road- Bridge and border milestone in the development of a 345 metres cable-stayed Package 3 – Construction of scanning the QR post - will be built through a of the North-South corridor as bridge across the River Luapula. One Stop Border Post (Zambia). code below with Private Public Partnership (PPP) it would also facilitate access to Other components are the Works were completed last your mobile phone initiative. international markets through Construction of one-stop border year, and the bridge was handed “Once completed, it will linkages to major sea ports,” posts on either side of the River over in October. The Contract decongest traffic at Kasumbalesa he said Bridge with associated parking Sum was US$174,184,799.54 Border Post from the Walvis Bay, Meanwhile, African Union and warehousing facilities and which was shared between Ndola Lubumbashi corridor,” Chairperson, also President Construction of toll plazas on Zambia and Botswana. Lungu revealed. of the DRC Fellix Tshisisekedi both sides of the bridge. Others The Contractor for the project The project, Lungu said will Chilombo, presiding as the guest are Construction of four satellite was Daewoo Engineering & once completed add to regional of honour said Kazungula Bridge toll plazas and Provision of an Construction Ltd from Korea and integration between Zambia, project by the two SADC states access road to the proposed the supervision consultants are a Congo, Tanzania and Africa. subscribes well to the Africa airport at Kasenga. The project is consortium of engineering firms The project is also said to be the Agenda 2063. an integrated PPP toll concession referred to as the Kazungula first of-its-kind in the continent The commissioning of the between the Concessionaire, Bridge Consultants JV. combining a one-stop border multi-million-dollar Kazungula Messrs Groupe Europeén de Echo Newspaper 17 May - 23 May 2021 Echo Report 3 4 Echo Report Echo Newspaper 17 May - 23 May 2021 test’s detection limit, as such Rapid tests up Zimbabwe’s a negative test result cannot exclude COVID-19 infection and a repeat confirmatory polymerase chain reaction COVID-19 diagnosis test is necessary particularly in symptomatic patients. The World Health Organization Zimbabwe has upscaled the game changer, according to far-flung localities. Antigen rapid diagnostic (WHO) recommends that the use of antigen rapid diagnostic Dr Raiva Simbi, the Deputy “Most of our clinics are able tests detect active SARS- CoV- antigen rapid tests be used in tests to reinforce its COVID-19 Director Laboratory Services at to do tests using the rapid 2 infection and are used as four scenarios: in suspected response, hitting a daily rate of the Ministry of Health and Child diagnostic test kits,” says Dr point of care diagnostic tests. outbreaks where there is no 4000 tests – a fourfold increase Care. Initially COVID-19 tests Simbi. “The advantages of the They detect the COVID-19 access to polymerase chain reached within just two months were done through the standard turn-around time outweigh viral proteins, specifically the reaction testing, including in after the method was launched polymerase chain reaction in a the supremacy of the PCR virus antigen. Rapid diagnostic remote, hard-to-reach areas; to in November 2020. major laboratory in the capital [polymerase chain reaction] tests are easy to use and do trace the extent of an outbreak The rapid tests have been a Harare and later decentralized in terms of technological not require a laboratory or where at least one case is to the provinces. Even then this advancement. We are very happy expensive equipment. detected through polymerase was hamstrung by shortages that we are covering the whole Test done with antigen rapid chain reaction, including in in the supply of reagents due country in terms of diagnosis diagnostic tests will most often closed and semi closed settings to global competition and of COVID-19.” be positive when viral loads are such as prisons, schools, care longer turn-around time for At least 600 sites have been highest, and patients are most homes; among high-risk groups “Most of our tests results. set up for the rapid diagnostic infectious – typically 1−3 days like health workers; and in areas The rapid diagnosis tests have tests and more than 1800 health prior to the onset of symptoms with widespread community clinics are able been distributed to clinics in workers from the country’s 10 and during the first 5−7 days transmission. to do tests rural areas and results are provinces have been trained in after the onset of symptoms Antigen rapid diagnostic tests ‘‘using the rapid received 20–30 minutes (at their use.