Africa-Press – Angola. The inhabitants of the provinces of Zaire and Uíge, in northern Angola, applauded the announcement of the land connection between the two border regions, via National Road 120 (EN-120).
The announcement was made last weekend, in Mbanza Kongo, by the minister of Public Works, Urbanism and Housing, Carlos Alberto dos Santos, who worked in Zaire province for three days.
According to the official, the decision for the land connection between the two provinces (Zaire and Uíge) came out of the Local Governance Meeting, which took place a few days ago in the city of Uíge, under the guidance of the President of the Republic, João Lourenço.
The two regions have been incommunicado by land for decades, due to the lack of a bridge over the Mbrige River, on National Road 120 (EN-120), which connects Mbanza Kongo (Zaire) to the town of Lukunga, Bembe municipality, Uíge province .
Some inhabitants of the two border provinces said that the connection by road, in addition to shortening the distance, will leverage the social and economic development of the regions.
They added that, currently, to move from Mbanza Kongo to Uíge and vice versa, they are obliged to climb the city of Caxito (Bengo), covering more than 800 kilometers of road, a distance that would be shortened to 200 km if the Mbanza Kongo road /Madimba/Bembe was passable.
At 75 kilometres, the route from Mbanza Kongo to the Mbridje River, passing through the Madimba town hall, is in a poor state of repair, a situation made worse by the lack of a bridge over the Mbridje River that would serve as a link with the neighboring province of Uíge.
For Nsita Bernardo, 45 years old, inhabitant of Uíge province, the road connection between the two regions would make commercial exchanges more dynamic.
“Many products from the countryside rot almost every year, due to the lack of markets for their sale”, he said.
In turn, Maria Mambu, inhabitant of the province of Zaire, many citizens travel kilometers on foot due to lack of means of transport on this route.
Resident in the village of Divangamene, south of the Serra de Kanda commune, the interlocutor said that the situation has created many constraints, especially in terms of access to basic services and justice.
“Our villages are without health posts and medicines. The children only study up to the 9th grade, due to the lack of more schools. Those who have possibilities send their students to the municipal headquarters of Cuimba, Mbanza Kongo and Uíge”, she described.
For Maria Sofia, also an inhabitant of the village of Divangamene, in order to get the products in the basic basket, they are forced to travel many kilometers on foot.
In the southern part of the commune of Serra de Kanda (Cuimba), bordering the municipality of Bembe (Uíge), about 20 villages live isolated from the rest of the province of Zaire.
Zaire/Uíge link in the Executive’s priorities
The Minister of Public Works, Urbanism and Housing, Carlos Aberto dos Santos, said that the rehabilitation of the Zaire/Uíge road constitutes one of the Executive’s priorities for the next few days.
He informed that work was underway to mobilize financial and technical resources for the rehabilitation of the Mbanza Kongo/Bembe road section, as well as the construction of the bridge over the Mbridje river.
“We left here with a clear commitment. We are going to look for the best technical and financial solutions, so that as soon as we have this possibility we will return to the place to comply with what was decided at the Local Governance Meeting, held in the city of Uíge”, he highlighted.
He referred that in addition to the bridge, earthworks will be carried out along this road with all technical services and periodic maintenance.
The province of Zaire has a road network of 1,712 kilometres, of which 510 are paved.
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