By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba
Taking water from Luapula to Kafue River
Government recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Power China International Group Limited to develop a comprehensive water plan for the Kafue catchment and transfer of water from Luapula River to Kafue River.
But what about these factors? But will DRC agree to divert Luapula River water into Kafue River!
1. Luapula River is a shared resource. Chambeshi River, which feeds into Lake Bangweulu from which Luapula comes, is considered in DRC as the key source of River Congo, which is fed by Lualaba River which receives huge amounts of water from Luvua River which comes from Lake Mweru into which the shared Luapula River flows. Zambia shares both Luapula River and Lake Mweru with DRC.
2. If Kafue River, which starts in a high rainfall area in Northwestern Province, is unable to supply adequate water to the three power stations, even Luapula River water won’t!
3. If DRC agrees, there is no guarantee that any future rogue government in DRC can’t easily divert the same Luapula water into Lualaba River – see the source of Lualaba River on any map!
4. For the Chinese, such a project – diverting Luapula water into Kafue River puts them right into pole position to access DRC/Copperbelt minerals free of charge – as they dig the canal!
5. The simple solution is to develop power stations in Luapula, Northern, and Muchinga provinces where suitable waterfalls exist. It is cheaper and without ecological devastation and strain on Zambia-DRC relations.
6. Rest assured, DRC will not agree!
Mwamba with your negativity in the end you loose relevance. You think all those factors were not considered?
You are just dull. We have been saying this since 2001 when we had a severe drought in southern province and we made serious losses to an extent that I moved out of southern province altogether.
We told Chiluba’s boys to consider that for the future as that drought was an indicator that in the foreseeable future half the country will develop semi-desert conditions. Global warming never reverts to cooling weather again. They never listened as usual. Several Tonga farmers went to kabwe and kapiri mposhii and some as far as mkushi.
Do this idea is long overdue the cost of digging aqua ducts hen was way below what it will be now. Politicians need to respect technocrats. We engineers see these things because we were trained. But politicians in Africa look at cost and size of projects and political implications like Mwamba is doing now. We don’t need Congo’s approval to utilize our water. Congo is supposed to approach us and request that we leave them with something. Luapula is just a tributary of the mighty Congo river. There are several from the Ituri forest. Looks like Mwamba never did High School. He should have know the other tributaries. Chambeshi is an inland river shared with no one so why should we worry what Congo feels about how we manage our water??? What a dull seminarian. I always said the Catholic need to recruit university material for the training not form five dropouts!!!!
There’s an interconnection of these rivers… Luapula river’s source is in the lake Bangweulu, enters lake Mweru , and exits as Luavu river in DRC and then becomes Lualaba River in DRC. At what point will the
diversion be done? After lake Bangweulu, you affect the Lake Mweru …After Lake Mweru you affect River Lualaba. Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba is Absolutely right…And Wapya Munzi, useless Tonga Tribalist , stop insulting the Catholic Church. Do you know the qualifications for one to become a Catholic Priest? Argue against what Mwamba is saying. Don’t bring in the Catholic Church, useless idiot.
You can’t just finish your presenting your opinion without insulting or derogatory comments on a tribe or individual you hate. If the cyber crime law follows you-you will start saying “abuse of the cyber crime law by UPND government”.
Sometimes present your opinions like a learned muntu. Your valid points get diluted with tribal remarks, it turns out into an attack rather than an opinion.
Ba Mwamba nabo always hide by the corner to make negative comments on any positive government move. The point I see in him in most times is…things shouldn’t workout well SO THAT the negative blame on government continue through 2025 and into 2026 August to make campaign points.
Goodness is the UPND government has studied these tricks.
Ba Mwamba let people work don’t hallucinate on their behalf. Remember the small supplementary readers of the 70s entitled “TRY WAS A MAN” see how the character succeed and became a hero!
Let HH try the Garry Nkombo formula.