Tanzania and Zambia in a pioneering ROT
One of the many Bridges Tanzania and Zambia have done it again. Back in the 1960s, they jointly conceived a 1860KM rail link between the two countries. That was the longest Railway line in Africa. For countries that were hardly a decade into independence, that was a bold dream. They approached the West and the World Bank for financial support but the project was rejected as “economically unviable.” Undeterred, they jointly approached China to build a railway line linking the two countries. China agreed to a US$406 million interest-free loan to be paid in 30 years. For China, this was the largest foreign aid project in the cold war era, for China itself was struggling. In 1968, work on the turnkey project began. The feasibility study debunked the West’s theory. In 1970, construction began and was completed in 1975, two years ahead of schedule. The line runs through a difficult terrain with mountain ranges, rivers, and the Rift Valley. It comprises 320 bridges, with a t...