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From 6 July 2006, a graphic version of the current edition is available at the Daily News Online web site.

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Mr Samuel Mbaiwa, the ministry's spokesperson, said on Tuesday that government wanted to improve service delivery at the border with neighbouring Zambia. Currently, there were only two pantoons belonging to Zambia that ferry goods trucks and people between the two countries.

"There is too much traffic that crosses into both countries," he said. "We have to increase the number of pantoons to speed service delivery at the border post." Mr Mbaiwa explained that the Zambian government has also communicated its intentions to buy two more pantoons.

He however said the project was still at a planning stage since the cost and place where the pantoon will be bought have not yet been determined.

The purchasing of the pantoons comes at a time when the governments of Botswana and Zambia have agreed to build a bridge that connects the two countries. "The construction of the bridge is scheduled for 2014.

Therefore we can't wait as the situation there is unbearable," he said indicating that the movement of vehicles at the border would improve once the three pantoons are bought.

"This means we will have five pantoons: four from the Zambian side and one from Botswana," he said. Mr Mbaiwa stated that the two countries recently signed a memorandum of understanding and a memorandum of agreement with a company that would design the bridge. He said the two states would foot equal bills for the bridge equally. Initially, Zimbabwe was part of the project as it was scheduled to touch on its territorial waters but withdrew due to insufficient funds. He said Namibia has allowed the two countries to use part of its territory when constructing the bridge but not to exceed 100m.

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