96-694: The Victoria Falls Bridge crosses the Zambezi River just below the Victoria Falls and is built over the Second Gorge of the falls. As the river forms the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia , the bridge links the two countries and has border posts on the approaches to both ends, at the towns of Victoria Falls , Zimbabwe , and Livingstone , Zambia . The bridge was the brainchild of Cecil Rhodes , part of his grand and unfulfilled Cape to Cairo railway scheme, even though he never visited
192-463: A day were reported inside Rhodesia over the following months. Far from being seen as a gesture of potential reconciliation, the ceasefire and release of the nationalist leaders gave the message to the rural population that the security forces had been defeated, and that the guerrillas were in the process of emulating FRELIMO's victory in Mozambique. ZANU and ZANLA were unable to totally capitalise on
288-699: A deal: the Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda would prevent guerrilla infiltrations into Rhodesia from his country, and in return the Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith would agree to a ceasefire and "release all political detainees"—the leaders of ZANU and ZAPU—who would then attend a conference in Rhodesia, united under a single banner and led by Bishop Abel Muzorewa and his African National Council (UANC). Vorster hoped that if this were successful
384-591: A different impact on the ecosystems of the delta from today, as it brought nutrient-rich fresh water down to the Indian Ocean coastal wetlands. The lower Zambezi experienced a small flood surge early in the dry season as rain in the Gwembe catchment and north-eastern Zimbabwe rushed through while rain in the upper Zambezi, Kafue, and Lake Malawi basins, and Luangwa to a lesser extent, is held back by swamps and floodplains. The discharges of these systems contribute to
480-632: A further 1,100 kilometres (680 mi) of border to defend and had to rely on South Africa alone for imports. The second event was more surprising for the Rhodesians. In late 1974, the government of Rhodesia's main ally and backer, South Africa, adopted a doctrine of "détente" with the Frontline States . In an attempt to resolve the situation in Rhodesia, the South African Prime Minister B. J. Vorster negotiated
576-416: A haven for migratory waterbirds, including pintails , garganey , African openbill ( Anastomus lamelligerus ), saddle-billed stork ( Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis ), wattled crane ( Bugeranus carunculatus ), and great white pelican ( Pelecanus onocrotalus ). Reptiles include Nile crocodile ( Crocodylus niloticus ), Nile monitor lizard ( Varanus niloticus ), African rock python ( Python sebae ),
672-539: A long diversion via the Kazungula Ferry or Chirundu Bridge . The limit was raised after repairs in 2006, but proposals for more fundamental rehabilitation or construction of a new bridge have been aired. The toll on the bridge was abolished in 1906. During the Rhodesian UDI crisis and Bush War , the bridge was frequently closed (and regular passenger services have not resumed successfully). In 1975,
768-469: A much larger flood in March or April, with a mean monthly maximum for April of 6,700 m (240,000 cu ft) per second at the delta. The record flood was more than three times as big, 22,500 m (790,000 cu ft) per second being recorded in 1958. By contrast, the discharge at the end of the dry season averaged just 500 m (18,000 cu ft) per second. In the 1960s and 1970s,
864-401: A new leadership election be held. ZAPU contacted Salisbury soon after, stating that they wished to enter talks directly with the government. Smith "opted for the unthinkable", in the words of Eliakim Sibanda, reasoning that for all of their differences, Nkomo was still, as Sibanda writes, "a seasoned and pragmatic politician", who commanded a not insignificant force of guerrillas. The ZAPU leader
960-549: A reputation as great cloth traders throughout the region. In a curious note, Goese-born Portuguese trader Manuel Caetano Pereira, who traveled to the Bisa homelands in 1796, was surprised to be shown a second, separate river referred to as the "Zambezi". This "other Zambezi" that puzzled Pereira is most likely what modern sources spell the Chambeshi River in northern Zambia. The Monomatapa notion (reported by Santos) that
1056-466: A resolution if he was unwilling to grant such a "very small thing" as immunity to the nationalist leaders. The conference broke up without any agreement or progress having been made. After the failure of the talks across the Falls, even the facade of a united front amongst the nationalists was broken on 11 September, when Muzorewa expelled Nkomo and four of his deputies from the council after they suggested
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#17327756036191152-714: Is a parabolic curve . The bridge was prefabricated in Darlington, England by the Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company , before being shipped to the port city of Beira in Portuguese -ruled Mozambique , and then transported on the newly constructed railway to the Victoria Falls. It took just 14 months to construct and was completed in 1905. The bridge was officially opened by Professor Sir George Darwin , son of Charles Darwin and President of
1248-534: Is joined by sizeable tributaries such as the Luena and the Chifumage flowing from highlands to the north-west. It turns south and develops a floodplain , with extreme width variation between the dry and rainy seasons. It enters dense evergreen Cryptosepalum dry forest , though on its western side, Western Zambezian grasslands also occur. Where it re-enters Zambia, it is nearly 400 m (1,300 ft) wide in
1344-601: Is lost through evaporation in its swamp systems. The 1940s and 1950s were particularly wet decades in the basin. Since 1975, it has been drier, the average discharge being only 70% of that for the years 1930 to 1958. Up to the Late Pliocene or Pleistocene (more than two million years ago), the upper Zambezi flowed south through what is now the Makgadikgadi Pan to the Limpopo River . The change of
1440-518: Is not included in the figures because it only occasionally overflows to any extent into the Zambezi. Because of the rainfall distribution, northern tributaries contribute much more water than southern ones; for example: The Northern Highlands catchment of the upper Zambezi contributes 25%, Kafue 8%, Luangwa and Shire Rivers 16% each, total 65% of Zambezi discharge. The large Cuando basin in the south-west, though, contributes only about 2 m /s because most
1536-521: Is obstructed by a sand bar . A more northerly branch, called the Chinde mouth, has a minimum depth at low water of 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) at the entrance and 4 metres (13 ft) further in, and is the branch used for navigation. About 100 kilometres (62 mi) further north is a river called the Quelimane , after the town at its mouth. This stream, which is silting up, receives the overflow of
1632-481: Is sandy, and the banks are low and reed-fringed. At places, however, and especially in the rainy season, the streams unite into one broad, fast-flowing river. About 160 kilometres (99 mi) from the sea, the Zambezi receives the drainage of Lake Malawi through the Shire River . On approaching the Indian Ocean, the river splits up into a delta . Each of the primary distributaries, Kongone, Luabo, and Timbwe,
1728-546: Is very uniform, dropping only by another 180 m (590 ft) across a distance of around 800 km (500 mi). The first of its large tributaries to enter the Zambezi is the Kabompo River in the North-Western Province of Zambia. The savanna through which the river flows gives way to a wide floodplain, studded with Borassus fan palms . A little farther south is the confluence with
1824-757: The Cahora Bassa Dam in Mozambique, which provides power to Mozambique and South Africa . Additionally, two smaller power stations are along the Zambezi River in Zambia, one at Victoria Falls and the other in Zengamina , near Kalene Hill in the Ikelenge District . The river rises in a black, marshy dambo in dense, undulating miombo woodland 50 km (31 mi) north of Mwinilunga and 20 km (12 mi) south of Ikelenge in
1920-478: The Ikelenge District of North-Western Province , Zambia, at about 1,524 metres (5,000 ft) above sea level . The area around the source is a national monument, forest reserve, and important bird area . Eastward of the source, the watershed between the Congo and Zambezi Basins is a well-marked belt of high ground, running nearly east–west and falling abruptly to the north and south. This distinctly cuts off
2016-677: The Itezhi-Tezhi Dam 's deleterious effects on the Kafue Flats, this has these effects: The Zambezi Delta has extensive seasonally and permanently flooded grasslands, savannas, and swamp forests. Together with the floodplains of the Buzi , Pungwe , and Save Rivers, the Zambezi's floodplains make up the World Wildlife Fund 's Zambezian coastal flooded savanna ecoregion in Mozambique. The flooded savannas lie close to
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#17327756036192112-579: The Kuomboka . After Lealui, the river turns south-southeast. From the east, it continues to receive numerous small streams, but on the west, it is without major tributaries for 240 km. Before this, the Ngonye Falls and subsequent rapids interrupt navigation. South of Ngonye Falls, the river briefly borders Namibia's Caprivi Strip . Below the junction of the Cuando River and the Zambezi,
2208-610: The Lungwebungu River . This is the beginning of the Barotse Floodplain , the most notable feature of the upper Zambezi, but this northern part does not flood so much and includes islands of higher land in the middle. About 30 km below the confluence of the Lungwebungu, the country becomes very flat, and the typical Barotse Floodplain landscape unfolds, with the flood reaching a width of 25 km in
2304-465: The Quelimane or Quá-Qua, a small river on the northern end of the delta, which at that time was connected by navigable channels to the Zambezi River proper (the connection silted up by the 1830s). In a few of the oldest maps, the entire river is denoted as such. By the 16th century, a new name emerged, the Cuama River (sometimes "Quama" or "Zuama"). Cuama was the local name given by the dwellers of
2400-526: The South African Police (SAP) from forward bases in Rhodesia, and by August 1975 had pulled the SAP out of Rhodesia completely. The nationalists, on the other hand, ignored the agreed terms and used the sudden cessation of security force activity as an opportunity to regroup and re-establish themselves both inside and outside the country. Guerrilla operations continued: an average of six incidents
2496-679: The Swahili coast for an outpost located on one of the southerly islands of the delta (near the Luabo channel). Most old nautical maps denote the Luabo entry as Cuama, the entire delta as the "rivers of Cuama", and the Zambezi proper as the "Cuama River". In 1552, Portuguese chronicler João de Barros noted that the same Cuama River was called Zembere by the inland people of Monomatapa . The Portuguese Dominican friar João dos Santos , visiting Monomatapa in 1597 reported it as Zambeze (Bantu languages frequently shifts between z and r) and inquired into
2592-659: The Warsaw Pact and associated nations, prominently Cuba, gave similar support to ZAPU and its Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA). ZAPU and ZIPRA were headed by Joshua Nkomo throughout their existence, while the Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole founded and initially led ZANU. The two rival nationalist movements began what they called their "Second Chimurenga " against the Rhodesian government and security forces , and, while based outside
2688-732: The Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU)—a predominantly Shona movement, influenced by Chinese Maoism —and the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU), which was Marxist–Leninist , and mostly Ndebele . ZANU and its military wing, the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA), received considerable backing in training, materiel and finances from the People's Republic of China and its allies, while
2784-541: The self-governing colony of Rhodesia , led by the Prime Minister Ian Smith , were unable to agree terms for the latter's full independence. Rhodesia unilaterally declared independence on 11 November 1965. This was deemed illegal by Britain and the United Nations (UN), each of which imposed economic sanctions on Rhodesia. The two most prominent black nationalist parties in Rhodesia were
2880-515: The "Espirito Santo" Rivers converging deep in the interior, at the same lake. However, the Bisa-derived etymology is not without dispute. In 1845, W.D. Cooley, examining Pereira's notes, concluded the term "Zambezi" derives not from the Bisa people, but rather from the Bantu term "mbege"/"mbeze" ("fish"), and consequently it probably means merely "river of fish". David Livingstone , who reached
2976-546: The "détente" deal. Robert Mugabe had been elected ZANU president while they were incarcerated, though this was disputed by its founding leader, the Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole , who continued to be recognised as such by the Frontline States. On his release, Mugabe moved into Mozambique to consolidate his supremacy within ZANU and ZANLA, while Sithole prepared to take part in talks with the Rhodesian government as part of
Victoria Falls Bridge - Misplaced Pages Continue
3072-506: The Batoka Gorge, the current being continually interrupted by reefs. It has been described as one of the world's most spectacular whitewater trips, a tremendous challenge for kayakers and rafters alike. Beyond the gorge are a succession of rapids that end 240 km (150 mi) below Victoria Falls. Over this distance, the river drops 250 m (820 ft). At this point, the river enters Lake Kariba , created in 1959 following
3168-562: The British Association (now the British Science Association ), on 12 September 1905. The American Society of Civil Engineers has designated the bridge as an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark . Constructed from steel, the bridge is 198 metres (650 ft) long, with a main arch spanning 156.50 metres (513.5 ft), at a height of 128 metres (420 ft) above the lower water mark of
3264-414: The Frontline States would enter full diplomatic relations with South Africa and allow it to retain apartheid . Under pressure from Pretoria to accept the terms, the Rhodesians agreed on 11 December 1974 and followed the terms of the ceasefire; Rhodesian military actions were temporarily halted and troops were ordered to allow retreating guerrillas to leave unhindered. Vorster withdrew some 2,000 members of
3360-455: The Indian Ocean coast. Mangroves fringe the delta's shoreline. Although the dams have stemmed some of the annual flooding of the lower Zambezi and caused the area of floodplain to be greatly reduced, they have not removed flooding completely. They cannot control extreme floods, and they have only made medium-level floods less frequent. When heavy rain in the lower Zambezi combines with significant runoff upstream, massive floods still happen, and
3456-538: The Indian Ocean is navigable, although the river is shallow in many places during the dry season. This shallowness arises as the river enters a broad valley and spreads out over a large area. Only at one point, the Lupata Gorge , 320 kilometres (200 mi) from its mouth, is the river confined between high hills. Here, it is scarcely 200 metres (660 ft) wide. Elsewhere it is from 5 to 8 kilometres (3 to 5 mi) wide, flowing gently in many streams. The river bed
3552-468: The Livingstone to Kalomo line be laid before the bridge was finished. Then a locomotive was conveyed in pieces across the gorge by the temporary electric cableway used for the transportation of the bridge materials and nicknamed the 'Blondin' by the construction engineers. The locomotive was re-assembled and entered service months before the bridge was complete. For more than 50 years, the bridge
3648-592: The Swahili (and later Portuguese) upriver trade station at Sena . In 1752, the Zambezi Delta, under the name "Rivers of Sena" ( Rios de Sena ) formed a colonial administrative district of Portuguese Mozambique , but common usage of "Zambezi" led eventually to a royal decree in 1858 officially renaming the district " Zambézia ". The Zambezi region was known to medieval geographers as the Empire of Monomotapa , and
3744-530: The UANC delegation. Sithole retained the ZANU leadership in the eyes of the Frontline States until late 1975. According to the terms agreed in December 1974, the talks between the Rhodesian government and the UANC were to take place within Rhodesia, but in the event the black nationalist leaders were loath to attend a conference on ground they perceived as not neutral. The Rhodesians, however, were keen to adhere to
3840-578: The UANC had agreed not to demand preconditions for talks, and that Kaunda and Vorster had in fact confirmed this to him that same morning; his delegation was therefore surprised by Muzorewa's confrontational opening speech. Smith says that his reply "provoked a flood of rhetoric"; the nationalists evaded his words and, one by one, gave passionate speeches about being "a suppressed people ... denied freedom in their own country" who only wanted to "return home and live normal, peaceful lives". Smith sat back and waited for them to finish, then responded that there
3936-471: The Zambezi in the rainy season. Average, minimum and maximum discharge of the Zambezi River at Marromeu (Lower Zambezi). Period from 1998 to 2022. The delta of the Zambezi is today about half as broad as it was before the construction of the Kariba and Cahora Bassa dams controlled the seasonal variations in the flow rate of the river. Before the dams were built, seasonal flooding of the Zambezi had quite
Victoria Falls Bridge - Misplaced Pages Continue
4032-543: The Zambezi was sourced from a great internal lake might be a reference to one of the African Great Lakes . One of the names reported by early explorers for Lake Malawi was "Lake Zambre" (probably a corruption of "Zambezi"), possibly because Lake Malawi is connected to the lower Zambezi via the Shire River. The Monomatapa story resonated with the old European notion, drawn from classical antiquity, that all
4128-565: The Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda acted as mediators in the conference, which was held on the border in an attempt to provide a venue both sides would accept as neutral. The conference failed to produce a settlement, breaking up on the same day it began with each side blaming the other for its unsuccessful outcome. Smith believed the nationalists were being unreasonable by requesting preconditions for talks—which they had previously agreed not to do—and asking for diplomatic immunity for their leaders and fighters. The nationalists contended that Smith
4224-606: The accord and meet at a Rhodesian venue. In an effort to placate both sides, Kaunda and Vorster relaxed the terms so that the two sides would instead meet aboard a train provided by the South African government, placed halfway across the Victoria Falls Bridge , on the Rhodesian–Zambian border. The Rhodesian delegates could therefore take their seats in Rhodesia and the nationalists, on the opposite side of
4320-472: The basin of the Lualaba (the main branch of the upper Congo) from the Zambezi. In the neighborhood of the source, the watershed is not as clearly defined, but the two river systems do not connect. The region drained by the Zambezi is a vast, broken-edged plateau 900–1,200 m high, composed in the remote interior of metamorphic beds and fringed with the igneous rocks of the Victoria Falls. At Chupanga , on
4416-566: The border between Zambia and Zimbabwe to Mozambique , where it crosses the country to empty into the Indian Ocean. The Zambezi's most noted feature is Victoria Falls . Its other falls include the Chavuma Falls at the border between Zambia and Angola, and Ngonye Falls near Sioma in western Zambia. The two main sources of hydroelectric power on the river are the Kariba Dam , which provides power to Zambia and Zimbabwe, and
4512-487: The border between the unrecognised state of Rhodesia (today Zimbabwe) and Zambia. It was the culmination of the "détente" policy introduced and championed by B. J. Vorster , the Prime Minister of South Africa, which was then under apartheid and was attempting to improve its relations with the Frontline States to Rhodesia's north, west and east by helping to produce a settlement in Rhodesia. The participants in
4608-488: The bridge was the site of unsuccessful peace talks when the parties met in a train carriage poised above the gorge for nine and a half hours. In 1980, freight and road services resumed and have continued without interruption except for maintenance. Today, one of the Victoria Falls Bridge's main attraction are historical guided tours focusing on the construction of the bridge and include a walking tour under
4704-406: The building of dams changed that pattern completely. Downstream, the mean monthly minimum–maximum was 500 to 6,000 m (18,000 to 212,000 cu ft) per second; now it is 1,000 to 3,900 m (35,000 to 138,000 cu ft) per second. Medium-level floods especially, of the kind to which the ecology of the lower Zambezi was adapted, happen less often and have a shorter duration. As with
4800-445: The calm stretches of the river, as well as Nile crocodiles. Monitor lizards are found in many places. Birds are abundant, with species including heron , pelican , egret , lesser flamingo , and African fish eagle present in large numbers. Riverine woodland also supports many large animals, such as buffalo, zebras , giraffes , and elephants . The Zambezi also supports several hundred species of fish, some of which are endemic to
4896-466: The capital in December 1975. Nkomo was wary of being labelled a " sell-out " by his ZANU rivals, particularly Mugabe, so to prevent this from happening he first consulted Kaunda, Machel and Nyerere, the presidents of the Frontline States. Each of the presidents gave his approval to ZAPU's participation in direct talks, and with their blessing Nkomo and Smith signed a declaration of intent to negotiate on 1 December 1975. Constitutional negotiations between
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#17327756036194992-575: The carriage, would be able to attend without leaving Zambia. As part of the détente policy, Kaunda and Vorster would act as mediators in the conference, which was set for 26 August 1975. The UANC delegation was led, as expected, by Muzorewa and included Sithole representing ZANU, Nkomo for ZAPU and James Chikerema , the former ZAPU vice-president, for a third militant party, the Front for the Liberation of Zimbabwe . According to Rhodesian intelligence,
5088-410: The completion of the Kariba Dam . The lake is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world, and the hydroelectric power-generating facilities at the dam provide electricity to much of Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Luangwa and Kafue rivers are the two largest left-hand tributaries of the Zambezi. The Kafue joins the main river in a quiet, deep stream about 180 m (590 ft) wide. From this point,
5184-441: The conference were a delegation led by the Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith on behalf of his government, and a nationalist delegation attending under the banner of Abel Muzorewa 's African National Council (UANC), which for this conference also incorporated delegates from the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) and the Front for the Liberation of Zimbabwe (FROLIZI). Vorster and
5280-725: The confluence with the Luanginga is Lealui , one of the capitals of the Lozi people , who populate the Zambian region of Barotseland in the Western Province. The chief of the Lozi maintains one of his two compounds at Lealui; the other is at Limulunga , which is on high ground and serves as the capital during the rainy season. The annual move from Lealui to Limulunga is a major event, celebrated as one of Zambia's best-known festivals,
5376-402: The country's independence on 25 June 1975; FRELIMO took power without contesting an election, while Samora Machel assumed the presidency. Now that Mozambique was under a friendly government, ZANLA could freely base themselves there with the full support of Machel and FRELIMO, with whom an alliance had already existed since the late 1960s. The Rhodesian Security Forces, on the other hand, now had
5472-549: The country, sent groups of guerrillas into Rhodesia at regular intervals. Most of these early incursions, which had little success, were perpetrated by ZIPRA. Wilson and Smith held abortive talks aboard HMS Tiger in 1966 and HMS Fearless two years later. A constitution was agreed upon by the Rhodesian and British governments in November 1971, but when the British gauged Rhodesian public opinion in early 1972 they abandoned
5568-603: The course of the Rhodesian Bush War , as they gave the nationalist guerrillas significant time to regroup and reorganise themselves following the decisive security force counter-campaign of 1973–74. A further conference would follow in the Geneva Conference in 1976 . After the Wind of Change of the early 1960s, the British government under Harold Wilson and the predominantly white minority government of
5664-415: The course of the river, as well as the position of lakes Ngami and Nyasa , were generally accurate in early maps. These were probably constructed from Arab information. Victoria Falls Conference (1975) Second Phase (1972–1979) Related incidents The Victoria Falls Conference took place on 26 August 1975 aboard a South African Railways train halfway across the Victoria Falls Bridge on
5760-416: The deal on the grounds that they perceived most blacks to be against it. The Rhodesian Bush War suddenly re-erupted after two years of relative inactivity on 21 December 1972 when ZANLA attacked Altena Farm near Centenary in the country's north-east. The security forces mounted a strong counter-campaign and by the end of 1974 had reduced the number of guerrillas active within the country to under 300. In
5856-442: The endemic Pungwe worm snake ( Leptotyphlops pungwensis ), and three other snakes that are nearly endemic - floodplain water snake ( Lycodonomorphus whytei obscuriventris ), dwarf wolf snake ( Lycophidion nanus ), and swamp viper ( Proatheris ). Several butterfly species are endemic. The north of the Zambezi basin has mean annual rainfall of 1100 to 1400 mm, which declines towards the south, reaching about half that figure in
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#17327756036195952-449: The falls and died before construction of the bridge began. Rhodes is recorded as instructing the engineers to "build the bridge across the Zambezi where the trains, as they pass, will catch the spray of the Falls". It was designed by George Andrew Hobson of consultants Sir Douglas Fox and Partners, assisted by the stress calculations of Ralph Freeman , who was later the principal designer of the Sydney Harbour Bridge . The main central arch
6048-428: The fast-flowing river (she survived). The bridge was originally referred to as the Great Zambesi or Zambezi Bridge, later becoming known as the Victoria Falls Bridge. The Location of the bridge and surrounding area by Openstreetmap Zambezi River (Period: 1971–2000)4,256.1 m /s (150,300 cu ft/s) The Zambezi (also spelled Zambeze and Zambesi ) is the fourth-longest river in Africa,
6144-448: The government and ZAPU began in Salisbury ten days later. The ZAPU delegation proposed an immediate switch to black majority rule, a government elected on a "strictly non-racial" basis, and reluctantly offered some sweeteners for the Rhodesian white population, "which we detested", Nkomo says, including some reserved seats for whites in parliament. The talks dragged on for months afterwards, with little progress being made, though Smith notes
6240-405: The great African rivers—the Nile, the Senegal , the Congo, and the Zambezi—were all sourced from the same great internal lake. The Portuguese were also told that the Mozambican Espirito Santo "river" (actually an estuary formed by the Umbeluzi , Matola , and Tembe Rivers) was sourced from a lake (hence its outlet became known as Delagoa Bay ). As a result, several old maps depict the Zambezi and
6336-517: The legal government of our country." The UANC delegates countered by railing against Smith even more strongly than before, repeating their previous arguments and rejecting the right of Britain to negotiate on their behalf. This argument went on for nine and a half hours before the conference broke up, Smith refusing outright to grant diplomatic immunity to the UANC's "terrorist leaders who bear responsibility for ... murders and other atrocities". Muzorewa said that he doubted Smith's sincerity in seeking
6432-406: The longest east-flowing river in Africa and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. Its drainage basin covers 1,390,000 km (540,000 sq mi), slightly less than half of the Nile 's. The 2,574 km (1,599 mi) river rises in Zambia and flows through eastern Angola , along the north-eastern border of Namibia and the northern border of Botswana , then along
6528-440: The lower Zambezi, thin strata of grey and yellow sandstones , with an occasional band of limestone , crop out on the bed of the river in the dry season, and these persist beyond Tete , where they are associated with extensive seams of coal. Coal is also found in the district just below Victoria Falls. Gold-bearing rocks occur in several places. The river flows to the southwest into Angola for about 240 km (150 mi), then
6624-422: The main deck. On the Zambian side there is a small museum about the bridge which is free to enter and contains a café selling refreshments. Also located on the bridge is the Shearwater 111 metres (364 ft) bungee jump including a bungee swing and zip-line. Concerns about safety of the attraction were raised in late 2011 after the bungee's cord snapped and a young Australian woman fell 24 metres (79 ft) into
6720-417: The nationalist leaders, and that most Ndebele now favoured open negotiation. He said that most Ndebele would support a deal between the government and Nkomo, and that Muzorewa probably would as well. Meetings between Nkomo and Smith were duly arranged, and the first took place in secret in October 1975. After a few clandestine sessions passed without major problems, the two leaders agreed to have formal talks in
6816-407: The native idea of this magnificent stream being the main drain of the country". Other historical records show that the river was called Kasambabezi by the Tonga people, which means “only those who know the river can bath in it.” a name which is still in use to this day. In Portuguese records, the "Cuama River" term disappeared and gave way to the term "Sena River" ( Rio de Sena ), a reference to
6912-547: The northward bend of the Zambezi is checked, and the stream continues due east. At the confluence of the Luangwa (15°37' S), it enters Mozambique. The middle Zambezi ends where the river enters Lake Cahora Bassa , formerly the site of dangerous rapids known as Kebrabassa; the lake was created in 1974 by the construction of the Cahora Bassa Dam. The lower Zambezi's 650 kilometres (400 mi) from Cahora Bassa to
7008-416: The opposite side of the cramped railway carriage. Vorster and Kaunda arrived and sat on the Rhodesian side, where there was more space, and each spoke in turn, giving their blessing to the negotiations. Muzorewa then opened the proceedings at Smith's invitation. Speaking assertively, the bishop gave three concessions which would have to be given by the Rhodesian side for talks to begin: first, one man, one vote
7104-576: The origins of the name; he was told it was named after a people. "The River Cuama is by them called Zambeze; the head whereof is so farre within Land that none of them know it, but by tradition of their Progenitors say it comes from a Lake in the midst of the continent which yeelds also other great Rivers, divers ways visiting the Sea. They call it Zambeze, of a Nation of Cafres dwelling neere that Lake which are so called." —J. Santos Ethiopia Oriental , 1609 Thus,
7200-587: The peace process. When the Rhodesians persisted in their complaints, citing evidence of nationalist infighting in Lusaka, the South Africans were terser still, eventually wiring Salisbury : "If you don't like what we are offering, you always have the alternative of going it alone!" The conference started on the morning of 26 August as planned. The six Rhodesian delegates took their places first, then around 40 nationalists entered and crowded around Muzorewa on
7296-421: The period October–November 1974, the Rhodesians killed more nationalist fighters than in the previous two years combined. The effect of the security forces' decisive counter-campaign was undone by two drastic changes to the geopolitical situation in 1974 and 1975, each relating to one of the Rhodesian government's two main backers, Portugal and South Africa. In Lisbon , a military coup on 25 April 1974 replaced
7392-468: The rainy season and flows rapidly, with rapids ending in the Chavuma Falls , where the river flows through a rocky fissure. The river drops about 400 m (1,300 ft) in elevation from its source at 1,500 m (4,900 ft) to the Chavuma Falls at 1,100 m (3,600 ft), over a distance of about 400 km (250 mi). From this point to the Victoria Falls, the level of the basin
7488-549: The rainy season. For more than 200 km downstream, the annual flood cycle dominates the natural environment and human life, society, and culture. About 80 km further down, the Luanginga , which with its tributaries drains a large area to the west, joins the Zambezi. A short distance higher up on the east, the main stream is joined in the rainy season by overflow of the Luampa / Luena system. A short distance downstream of
7584-602: The right-wing Estado Novo administration with a leftist government opposed to the unpopular Colonial War in Angola , Mozambique and Portugal's other African territories. Following this coup, which became known as the Carnation Revolution , Portuguese leadership was hurriedly withdrawn from Lisbon's overseas territories, each of which was earmarked for an immediate handover to communist guerrillas. Brief, frenzied negotiations with FRELIMO in Mozambique preceded
7680-577: The river bends almost due east. Here, the river is broad and shallow and flows slowly, but as it flows eastward towards the border of the great central plateau of Africa, it reaches a chasm into which the Victoria Falls plunge. The Victoria Falls are considered the boundary between the upper and middle Zambezi. Below them, the river continues to flow due east for about 200 km (120 mi), cutting through perpendicular walls of basalt 20 to 60 m (66 to 197 ft) apart in hills 200 to 250 m (660 to 820 ft) high. The river flows swiftly through
7776-489: The river course is the result of epeirogenic movements that lifted up the surface at the present-day water divide between both rivers. Meanwhile, 1,000 km (620 mi) east, a western tributary of the Shire River in the East African Rift 's southern extension through Malawi eroded a deep valley on its western escarpment. At a slow rate, the middle Zambezi started cutting back the bed of its river towards
7872-422: The river in the gorge below. It carries a road, railway and footway. The bridge is the only rail link between Zambia and Zimbabwe and one of only three road links between the two countries. The Victoria Falls Bridge did not bring the first train or the first railway to Northern Rhodesia (called Zambia since 1964). To push on with construction of the railway north as fast as possible, Cecil Rhodes insisted that
7968-743: The river. Important species include cichlids , which are fished heavily for food, as well as catfish, tigerfish, yellowfish , and other large species. The bull shark is sometimes known as the Zambezi shark after the river, not to be mistaken with Glyphis freshwater shark genus that inhabit the river, as well. Upper Zambezi: 507,200 km , discharges 1044 m /s at Victoria Falls, comprising: Middle Zambezi cumulatively 1,050,000 km , 2442 m /s, measured at Cahora Bassa Gorge Lower Zambezi cumulatively, 1,378,000 km , 3424 m /s, measured at Marromeu Total Zambezi river basin : 1,390,000 km , 3424 m /s discharged into delta Source: Beilfuss & Dos Santos (2001) The Okavango Basin
8064-689: The situation, however, because of internal conflict which had started earlier in 1974. Some ordinary ZANU cadres perceived the ZANU High Command members in Lusaka , the Zambian capital, to be following a luxurious lifestyle, contrary to the party's Maoist principles. This culminated in the Nhari rebellion of November 1974, in which mutinous guerrillas were forcibly put down by the ZANU defence chief, Josiah Tongogara . The ZANU and ZAPU leaders imprisoned in Rhodesia were released in December 1974 as part of
8160-517: The south-west. The rain falls in a 4-to-6-month summer rainy season when the Intertropical Convergence Zone moves over the basin from the north between October and March. Evaporation rates are high (1600 mm-2300 mm), and much water is lost this way in swamps and floodplains, especially in the south-west of the basin. The river supports large populations of many animals. Hippopotamuses are abundant along most of
8256-514: The term "Zambezi" is after a people who live by a great lake to the north. The most likely candidates are the "M'biza", or Bisa people (in older texts given as Muisa, Movisa, Abisa, Ambios, and other variations), a Bantu people who live in what is now central-eastern Zambia, between the Zambezi River and Lake Bangweolo (at the time, before the Lunda invasion, the Bisa would have likely stretched further north, possibly to Lake Tanganyika ). The Bisa had
8352-458: The upper Zambezi in 1853, refers to it as "Zambesi", but also makes note of the local name "Leeambye" used by the Lozi people , which he says means "large river or river par excellence". Livingstone records other names for the Zambezi—Luambeji, Luambesi, Ambezi, Ojimbesi, and Zambesi—applied by different peoples along its course, and asserts they "all possess a similar signification and express
8448-507: The various nationalist factions had not patched up their differences, were not prepared to accept Muzorewa as their leader and, to this end, were hoping that the conference failed to produce an agreement. The Rhodesians relayed these concerns to Pretoria, which told them firmly that the UANC would surely not risk losing the support of Kaunda and the Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere by deliberately sabotaging
8544-399: The west, aided by grabens ( rift valleys ) forming along its course in an east–west axis. As it did so, it captured several south-flowing rivers such as the Luangwa and Kafue. Eventually, the large lake trapped at Makgadikgadi (or a tributary of it) was captured by the middle Zambezi cutting back towards it, and emptied eastwards. The upper Zambezi was captured, as well. The middle Zambezi
8640-644: The wetlands are still an important habitat. The shrinking of the wetlands, though, resulted in uncontrolled hunting of animals such as buffalo and waterbuck during the Mozambican Civil War . Although the region has had a reduction in the populations of the large mammals, it is still home to some, including the reedbuck and migrating eland . Carnivores found here include lion ( Panthera leo ), leopard ( Panthera pardus ), cheetah ( Acinonyx jubatus ), spotted hyena ( Crocuta crocuta ), and side-striped jackal ( Canis adustus ). The floodplains are
8736-487: Was about 300 m (980 ft) lower than the upper Zambezi, and a high waterfall formed at the edge of the basalt plateau across which the upper river flows. This was the first Victoria Falls, somewhere down the Batoka Gorge near where Lake Kariba is now. The first European to come across the Zambezi River was Vasco da Gama in January 1498, who anchored at what he called Rio dos Bons Sinais (River of Good Omens), now
8832-517: Was being deliberately intransigent and that they did not believe he was sincere in seeking an agreement if he was so adamant about not giving diplomatic immunity. Direct talks between the government and the Zimbabwe African People's Union followed in December 1975, but these also failed to produce any significant progress. The Victoria Falls Conference, the détente initiative and the associated ceasefire, though unsuccessful, did affect
8928-466: Was crossed regularly by passenger trains as part of the principal route between the then Northern Rhodesia , southern Africa and Europe. Freight trains carried mainly copper ore (later, copper ingots) and timber out of Northern Rhodesia, and coal into the country. The age of the bridge and maintenance problems have led to traffic restrictions at times. Trains cross at less than walking pace and trucks were limited to 30 t, necessitating heavier trucks making
9024-532: Was established by Muzorewa to be "a basic necessity"; second, an amnesty would have to be given for all guerrilla fighters, including those convicted of murder by the High Court in Salisbury; and finally, all of the nationalists would have to be given permission to return to Rhodesia as soon as possible to begin political campaigning. Smith replied calmly that Kaunda, Nyerere and Vorster had all assured him that
9120-488: Was nothing stopping them from going home at any time and living peacefully if they so wished, and that they were in this situation by their own hand. They themselves, he said, had refused the Anglo-Rhodesian accord agreed four years previously, which he said had offered Rhodesian blacks "preferential franchise facilities", and they themselves had chosen to use "unconstitutional means and terrorism in order to overthrow
9216-438: Was popular, too, not only locally but also regionally and internationally. If he could be brought into an internal government, and ZIPRA onto the side of the security forces, Smith thought, ZANU would find it difficult to justify continuing the guerrilla war, and even if they did so, they would be less likely to win. Dr Elliot Gabellah, Muzorewa's deputy in the UANC, told Smith that Nkomo was "the most balanced and experienced" of
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