Words by Sylvester “Sly” &
George Sanzila
The Sesheke Bridge is situated 5km west of Katima Mulilo, at the Namibia/Zambia border (Wenela). Its inception came about as part of Germany’s infrastructure aid program. It was built under a schedule of two years.
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| Engineering masterpiece - Katima Sesheke Bridge |
It was officially opened by the then heads of state of Namibia and Zambian President Sam Nujoma Levi Mwanawasa respectively.
The Inaugural ceremony was held at the frontier of the two nations. Multilingual chants were hollered as history was being made.
It's construction however, proved to be tricky. Engineers & architects’ strategy was to build levees and this had to be done when the water level had dropped. Even now, there’s still quiet a large amount of sand deposits visible in the river.
The monument stands at roughly 50m above, spreading 900m across the river. It’s around 7m in width, with sidewalks on either side. Lamp posts keep the bridge illuminated at night, bright as the stars in the heavens.
Before the bridge was built though, crossing the river was done by use of a ferry. It was a very complicated process and at times very time consuming, Another concern was that the used ferry was obsolete, and this left travelers in angst, worried about the safety of their vehicles. Now, with all that anxiety gone, even hydro-phobics get the courage to hang out on the bridge.
The view from top of the bridge is stimulating. The waters passing underneath carry with them a cool breeze that soars past the structure. The scent of the freshwater fills the air and the aura is quite refreshing. The sound the water makes when ramming against the rocks echoes in the atmosphere. An array of birds can be seen hovering above the water going on about their business.
There’s a handful of people living near the river, mainly seen setting fish-traps and fishing. Since it’s difficult to provide food for their families due to unemployment, fishing becomes the only means to survive.
As summer moves along in full swing, and the rainy season begins, swarms of fish are brought along with the flowing river. When this happens, they get to catch more fish of which some they can make profit out of.
Concurrently, there seems to be a utopia on the banks of the river, masked by the evergreen trees. Aptly named “Stone City” by locals (referring to the rock formations that inhabit the area), This spot has become a place where revelers unwind, to get away from the commotion of the town. The turbulence of the foamy water is reminiscent of the majestic Victoria Falls, one of wonders of the world.
With all the good that comes with the initiation of the bridge though, the only drawback to this virtuous bridge and its surroundings is that no eatery is present and there’s quiet a lack of parking areas for those whose sole purpose is to sightsee.
I guess since, its still in its infancy, its only fair to wait and see if there will be any investors willing to take the opportunity at hand.
