ETCETERA II
Monday, July 29, 2013
True, there are serious downs, negatives, if you prefer but there are also some very significant positives - and this bridge is very much one of them. So a recap. It can do no harm and may indeed raise a few spirits. The combined rail/road bridge spanning the Zambezi will be 923m long. Hopefully some resourceful person will tell us how this size of bridge compares with others elsewhere in the world.
Very obviously, it will be extraordinarily large, the Zambezi being of course a monster of a river. The cost of constructing the bridge will also be monstrous. The estimated figure of US$259.3 million can have meaning for only a relatively small number of people in the two countries, Botswana and Zambia, which are mounting the project.
The fees have been doubled from the previous amounts and raise concerns about political participation accessibility and democratic representation principles.This significant fee increase prompts questions regarding its impact on grassroots democracy.On one hand, the fees act as a filter, ensuring only serious contenders enter the race, potentially reducing frivolous candidacies and generating crucial campaign funds. The BDP argues that aspiring...