A
2019
NewsDay
report
suggested
the
bridge
would
cost
US$20
million,
while
a
2025
Herald
report
put
the
figure
at
US$75
million.
Speaking
at
a
national
budget
public
hearing
at
Chitsanga
Hall
on
Friday,
Clemence
Chiduwa,
chair
of
the
Parliamentary
Portfolio
Committee
on
Budget
and
Finance,
said
the
government
had
responded
to
calls
from
the
people
of
Chiredzi
to
prioritise
the
bridge,
hence
the
ZiG30
million
allocation.
Said
Chiduwa:
“The
proposal
was
made
by
one
of
you,
Jonathan
Shonhiwa,
that
Chilonga
Bridge
should
be
allocated
money
for
its
construction
and
as
such
government
has
allocated
ZIG
30
million
towards
the
construction
of
the
bridge.“I
am
sure
the
Engineering
team
is
already
deployed
to
assess
the
bridge,
and
the
money
will
go
towards
initial
design
works.”
Chiduwa
also
said
there
are
plans
to
allocate
another
ZiG54
million
in
2027
and
ZiG75
million
in
2028
for
the
Chilonga
Bridge.
The
bridge
was
washed
away
back
in
2000
during
Cyclone
Eline,
and
efforts
to
rebuild
it
have
been
dragging
on
for
the
past
26
years
with
little
progress.
Over
the
years,
lives
have
been
lost
as
people
tried
to
cross
the
flooded
Chilonga
River,
with
some
dying
while
attempting
the
crossing
in
makeshift
canoes.