Greg Mills

In 2010, the government of President Bingu wa Mutharika completed the basics of a new port on the Shire River at Nsanje / Port Herald, in Malawi. Costing of $20 million, these consist of a quay and a large concrete slab intended to serve as a river-road transfer point of an eventual $3.9 billion facility. The presidents of Zambia and Zimbabwe were invited to a public ceremony to celebrate the planned arrival of a barge carrying 60 tonnes of imported fertiliser. But Mozambican authorities then impounded the barge and detained four Malawians for navigating the river without authorisation. Mozambique objected to the project on grounds that no economic feasibility study or environmental impact assessment had been carried out. It also claimed that Malawi had not requested official clearance of the barge. A feasibility report commissioned by the SADC and published in 2013 concluded that the riverine project was ‘technically feasible but not financially viable’.

In April 2016, Mozambique president Felipe Nyusi questioned the viability of the project, saying it was just an ambition by Zambia and Malawi to cut transportation costs, urging the two countries to explore other means.

In October 2020 the new Malawi President, Lazarus Chakwera said the Shire-Zambezi Waterway was not a priority for the government.

The authors comment that Nsanje port remains non-functioning in 2021, due to depth and access problems on the Zambezi River in Mozambique.

But they say the port infrastructure could be used in a different rail plan, not connecting Blantyre from Sena, but through Nsanje.… (meer)