ZIMBABWE and Zambia have launched a pilot project to install floating buoys on Lake Kariba to mark the international boundary between the two countries, a move they say will reduce arrests, vessel seizures and clashes among fishing communities.
The pilot project comes amid long-standing tensions on Lake Kariba, where the absence of a clearly marked boundary has frequently led to accidental crossing, arrests and the seizure of fishing vessels, straining relations between communities in Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Plans to install floating buoys were revealed during the Zambia-Zimbabwe Joint Sensitisation Workshop on Lake Kariba demarcation in Siavonga, Zambia, this week.
The two countries, with support from the African Union Border Programme and GI-Z, will pilot buoys along the first 10km stretch starting from the Kariba Dam wall.
Zambia’s assistant surveyor-general, Kelvin Chibangula, said lack of visible markers on the 280km lake boundary created persistent challenges for communities working on the water.
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“Unclear boundaries on the lake have led to unintentional crossings, arrests, vessel seizures and conflicts among communities,” Chibangula told the workshop.
“Fishermen leave shore before sunrise. They are focused on catching fish to feed their families. They do not have GPS devices or maps on their boats. When they cross an invisible line, they are treated as criminals.
“That cycle of arrests and confiscations destroys livelihoods and damages relations among Zambian and Zimbabwean communities who have lived as neighbours for generations.”
He said the buoy pilot project was designed to give boat users a clear physical reference point to reduce unintentional crossing.
Zimbabwe’s surveyor-general, Edwin Guvara, urged lakeside communities to take ownership of the new infrastructure.
“We are calling on communities from both countries to safeguard this infrastructure,” he said.
“These buoys are not just government property. They belong to the people who depend on Lake Kariba for survival.
“It is the responsibility of local communities to protect the buoys from vandalism, boat collisions and any attempts to tamper with them.”
Added Guvara: “If one buoy is destroyed or moved, we create a gap and that gap becomes a source of confusion and conflict again.
“Let us treat these markers as we treat our fishing nets and boats, because without them, we go back to arrests and mistrust.”
He said data from the pilot project would assess buoy durability against strong winds, waves and boat traffic before the two countries consider marking the whole boundary.
GI-Z representative Yannick Le Gleau reaffirmed the organisation’s support for the African Union Border Programme.
“The African Union Border Programme envisions transforming administrative borders to spaces of peaceful integration, where borders are not barriers but bridges for trade, co-operation and shared prosperity,” Le Gleau said.
“Lake Kariba has for too long been defined by uncertainty and enforcement. With these floating buoys, we are helping Zambia and Zimbabwe to turn this shared water into a space of clarity and mutual benefit.
“GI-Z will continue supporting technical work, community sensitisation and the protection of this infrastructure because when borders are clearly marked, communities are safer and development moves faster.”
AU representative Grant Bowers described the initiative as historic, noting that it is the first lake border demarcation exercise of its kind in Africa.-newsday
