The Zambian Government is in the process of constructing a dry port at Walvis Bay port on a piece of land offered by the Namibian government, the Times of Zambia reported this week. Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister, Fashion Phiri, said yesterday that Namibia had offered Zambia a piece of land on which to construct a dry port for the benefit of Zambia’s importers and exporters. He was responding to a question posed by Bweengwa MP, Highvie Hamududu, who wanted to know whether the Zambian government had started constructing a dry port at Walvis Bay.Phiri said, initially the piece of land was offered for free in principle, but later the government was told to pay, the Times of Zambia said.

Phiri said that last year the two governments signed a memorandum of understanding on an agreement on which Namibia offered the land and facilitated the construction of the dry port.
Foreign Affairs Minister, Kabinga Pande, assured Hamududu that Zambia was interested in the dry port and had this year allocated some funds towards the project, the paper said. Namibia has also offered dry ports facilities to Zimbabwe and Botswana.
Two weeks ago, Namibia and Botswana signed an agreement on the implementation of a dry port facility at Walvis Bay. The acquisition of land in Namibia by Botswana on a 50-year lease basis was carried out in the spirit of bilateral cooperation between the two nations and in pursuit of the SADC regional integration agenda.
The agreement forms part of Namibia's contribution to the promotion of regional economic integration that would eventually lead to the total economic integration of the entire African continent.
The government agreed to make land available to Botswana after successful negotiations on the envisaged Dry Port facility between the two countries.
The dry port for Botswana will be established measures about 36-thousand-400 square metres and was offered for a period of 20 years, with the option of renewing the lease. Botswana will be using the facility for its imports and exports.