Za mbia is setting its sights on ambitious economic growth targets, aiming for rates as high as 12%, inspired by China's impressive growth figures. According to Charles Lubasi Milupi, Zambia’s minister of infrastructure, the country possesses the mineral wealth necessary to achieve these ambitious goals, but requires the essential infrastructure to link the nation internally and connect it with external markets."Zambia is in a unique position with its significant mineral resources. We need to ensure we are extracting these minerals to improve the lives of our people," Milupi stated at a recent conference in Cape Town. "We need integrated regional infrastructure and multimodal transport solutions that not only connect Zambia to its neighbours but also unify our entire region."Milupi emphasised the broader vision for Africa, posing critical questions about the continent's aspirations and the Southern African Development Community's (SADC) goals. "What is it that Africa wants to do? That SADC wants to do?" he asked, highlighting that while Africa is often seen as a poor continent, it holds significant potential and opportunities to alter its trajectory."Many refer to us as the Dark Continent, and the reason for this is that Africa was set up not for Africans. Now is the opportunity to define exactly what we must do to make Africa work for ourselves, to make our individual countries and our region work for us," Milupi said. He stressed that countries like Zambia could no longer afford to underutilise their resources and mineral wealth and must harness them for their own benefit.Milupi's comments underscore Zambia's strategic focus on developing comprehensive infrastructure to support and enhance mineral extraction and trade. This approach aims to emulate China's rapid economic expansion by leveraging Zambia’s mineral wealth through improved logistics and transport networks. The minister emphasised the importance of regional cooperation and integrated transport systems to drive sustainable economic growth and regional prosperity."Mining is of critical importance in Zambia, but it is not our only focus. We are also looking at improving the performance of other sectors, including agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing," he said.According to Milupi, the role of his department is to develop the infrastructure necessary for these sectors to thrive. "Simply put, we need to access markets and production centres as quickly and competitively as possible. As a landlocked country, we are also highly reliant on imports, meaning our domestic infrastructure is equally crucial."He emphasised that transport infrastructure was a current priority, with investments being directed not only into roads but also into rail. "We are linking with all of our neighbours. Our connections to South Africa and Tanzania are established. At the moment, there is a lot of emphasis on linking to the DRC and, from there, to Angola and Walvis Bay."
