Zim, Zambia council of ministers meet

Patrick Chitumba Senior Reporter
ZAMBEZI River Authority (ZRA) will for the next two days host the 31st Council of Ministers meeting between Zambia and Zimbabwe in Livingstone, Zambia.
ZRA chief executive Engineer Munyaradzi Munodawafa said in a statement that the authority would be hosting the meeting to discuss bilateral issues covering developments along the Zambezi River common to the two countries.

The Council of Ministers (COM) is the supreme body of this bi-lateral organisation. It comprises the Ministers of Energy, Finance and Attorneys General from the two countries.

From Zimbabwe, Minister of Energy and Power Development Dzikamai Mavhaire, Minister of Finance and Economic Development Patrick Chinamasa and Prosecutor General, Johannes Tomana are expected to attend the meeting alongside their Zambian counterparts.

“This meeting will be preceded by an Inter-Governmental Committee of Officials (ICO) meeting on February 26 at the same venue.
“Its participants are also drawn from the same ministries plus the electricity utility companies, namely ZESCO in Zambia and ZPC in Zimbabwe,” reads part of the statement.

Bilateral issues to be discussed at the meeting include the ZRA budget; progress on the Batoka Hydro-Electric Scheme; and the rehabilitation of the Kariba Dam.

“The ministers are also expected to visit the proposed Batoka HES proposed site and the recently completed access roads to the Batoka site.”
ZRA is mandated to harness and manage the Zambezi River waters for socio-economic development and to maintain the Kariba Dam complex including any future dams or infrastructure on the river forming a common border between the two countries.