Chembe | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 11°57′46″S 28°44′47″E / 11.96278°S 28.74639°E | |
Country | Zambia |
Province | Luapula Province |
District | Chembe District |
Time zone | UTC+2 (CAT) |
Chembe is a border town in Chembe District in the Luapula Province of Zambia. It once had the Chembe Ferry as a means of crossing the Luapula River from DR Congo to Zambia; but now, it is the home of the Mwanawasa Bridge (opened in October 2008[1]), named after former president Levy Mwanawasa. The Mwanawasa Bridge connects the M3 road to the Congo Pedicle road, a dirt highway maintained by Zambia through Congolese territory to link Mansa (formerly known as Fort Rosebery) to the Copperbelt.
Levy Mwanawasa (Chembe) Bridge, commissioned in October 2008 for a cost of US$ 1.5 million.[1]
The 350-metre bridge has helped transportation difficulties brought about by the Chembe Ferry of old.[1]
With the pronouncement of Chembe as a new District, it has seen significant economic growth.[citation needed]
In 2016, the government launched the development of the Chembe Multi-facility Economic Zone.[2]
In December 2015, MANSA Sugar Limited, which was incorporated in 2014, proposed to set up a sugar plantation and processing factory in Chembe, Luapula for US$ 60 million.[3][4][5]
The Factory was commissioned in September 2018.[4]
Capacity: 500,000 tonnes of sugarcane per annum and 44,380 tonnes of white mill sugar.[3]
In July 2016, Mansa Chilli Limited began constructing chili-processing plant in the Chembe Multi-Facility Economic Zone.[5]
In 2010 Chembe district had 23,394 inhabitants, and in 2019 the district was projected to go to a number of up to 28,919.[6]