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The Zambezi Development Scheme: Cabora Bassa
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 May 2017
Extract
The impact of African opposition to the Portuguese Zambezi Development Scheme and in particular to the construction of the Cabora Bassa hydro-electric dam in Mozambique was first felt in Europe in 1968 and reached its climax in 1971. It has influenced the thinking and the decisions of a great many individuals, groups, and organizations in the United States as well. In view of the wide publicity accorded various attempts in the United States and elsewhere to prevent any further support of Portugal's efforts to retain control over its colonies and develop them economically, one can assume that the controversy over Cabora Bassa is familiar to most people interested in African affairs. Nevertheless, more information is needed with respect to the facts and viewpoints surrounding the Cabora Bassa Dam project itself.
According to Portuguese sources, planning for the development of the Zambezi valley began with the First Development Plan in 1953. In March 1957, the Overseas Ministry created the Missao de Fomento e Povoamento do Zambezi (M.F.P.Z.)—or the Zambezi Development Office, an organization to develop and to populate the Zambezi valley. The general plan for this development was presented to the government in 1966, and in November 1967 invitations for tenders to construct the Cabora Bassa Dam were issued. Offers were due in January 1968.
The Third Development Plan for the Portuguese African territories covering the period from 1968 to 1973 provides for investments in Mozambique of about US $730.7 million. The costs for constructing the dam and the complete power scheme at Cabora Bassa are estimated at US $517.5 million. Portugal will absorb US $421 million of this amount and South Africa US $96.5 million. The ultimate production of energy is estimated to be twice that of the Aswan Dam. It will be surpassed in capacity only by the Churchill Falls Dam in Canada and by dams in the USSR at Bratsk and Krasnoyarsk. The Aswan Dam was built at a cost of more than US $1,000 million—a figure considerably higher than the estimate for the Cabora Bassa Dam.
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- Copyright © African Studies Association 1974
References
1 Cabora Bassa—Oaten, Fakten und Meinungen iiber einen Staudamm in Mozambique, a collection of various materials in German, published by the State Secretariat for Information and Tourism (SEIT), Lisbon, in cooperation with the West German public relations consultant ZAPP, Dusseldorf, 1971.
2 The Development of the Zambezi Valley—Cabora Bassa, pamphlet published by the Portuguese Government, Lisbon, undated.
3 “Un Barrage Hydro-electrique…” by Mario Sampaio, Le Monde, 7 May 1968.
4 Eduardo Mondlane, The Struggle for Mozambique (Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1969), pp. 97-98 and 161-162.
5 African Studies Newsletter (Waltham, Mass.: African Studies Association, September 1971), p. 35, quoting from Facts and Reports (Amsterdam: Angola Comite'h
6 The Development of the Zambezi Valley—Cabora Bassa, stated that there “has never been any forecast of a massive European settlement in the area…so that to speak of…one million white settlers is an impracticable, illogical notion“; in the later publication in German (fn. 1 above, pp. 22-23), it is stated that “ …but in view of the population constitution in Mozambique, most of the new settlers will be non-white.“
7 According to Barclay's Overseas Survey, 1970, p. 40, a new settlement is being prepared at Liome near Gurue where some 400 families mostly from Madeira will be accommodated.
8 Cooperation in Energy, a general survey by Z. Rupnik, Economic Commission for Africa Report, Chapter VI (Addis Ababa, 22 April 1969), p. 48, No. 129, 136.
9 Letter from Mr. R. K. A. Gardiner, Executive Secretary, ECA, dated 11 November 1970.
10 Res. GA/COL/1058-1063; roll call vote 14 in favor, 2 against (U.K., U.S.A.), with 2 abstentions (Italy, Norway).
11 Res. GA/COL/1101, 1102.
12 Res. GA/T/1862-1866; roll call vote 90 in favor, 7 against, with 17 abstentions.
13 Res. GA 2703; 85 in favor, 11 against, with 12 abstentions.
14 Res. GA/COL/1237; 17 in favor, none against, no abstentions.
15 Res. GA/COL/1249.
16 Res. GA 2873; adopted with 103 in favor, 8 against, with 13 abstentions.
17 Rome and Bonn—see Le Monde, 7 May 1970. The effect of President Kaunda's arguments was somewhat reduced by reminders that South Africa was one of Zambia's main foreign suppliers (remarks by Dr. Schmeling, Chairman of the Board, Otavi Minen- und Eisenbahngesellschaft, Frankfurt/Main.)
18 NAC/CONF.3/Res. 3 No. 6.
19 NAC/CONF.3/Res. 6 No. 3 & 4.
20 The Faces of Africa: Diversity and Progress; Repression and Struggle. Report of Special Study Missions to Africa, U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs, 92nd Congress, 2nd session, September 1972 (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office), p. 307.
21 Frente de Libertagao de Mozambique.
22 Comite Revolucionario de Mozambique.
23 African Studies Newsletter (November-December 1971), p. 59, quoting from the Nationalist (Tanzania), 23 October 1971.
24 African Studies Newsletter, (fn 23 above-p. 60), quoting from the Star, Johannesburg, 30 October 1971; C.OMOCMIN, a company jointly owned by Johannesburg Consolidated Investments and Anglo American Corporation; the company did not reply to requests for further information.
25 Le Monde, 27 February 1970.
26 African Studies Newsletter, (fn. 23 above), quoting from Agence France Press (AFP), 29 September 1971.
27 Le Monde, 5 April 1972.
28 Gibson, African Liberation Movements (Oxford University Press, 1972), p. 289.
29 Jeune Afrique, 21 October 1969; “Why ASEA Quit Cabora Bassa,“ in African Development, London, October 1969, p. 28; one of the members of the delegation was Mrs. Janet Mondlane, wife of Eduardo Mondlane, who was assassinated in Dar es Salaam on February 3, 1969 while Mrs. Mondlane was in Sweden on a fundraising mission—see Gibson, African Liberation Movements, p. 282-283.
30 In December 1970, the Swedish government granted Zambia a credit of $12 million for an electric power project.
31 The Portuguese ambassador to the Vatican was also recalled in July 1970 after the Pope had received several members of liberation movements operating in Portuguese-controlled Africa. The Portuguese ambassador returned to the Vatican following a message from tne Pope in which he explained his position. The same steps were taken by Portugal in Copenhagen in March 1972 when the Danish Foreign Minister K. B. Andersen met with leaders of FRELIMO during his trip to East Africa and promised them considerable humanitarian assistance. See Le Monde, 22 March and 4, 6, and 18 July 1970.
32 Information related by Dr. Grossmann and Mr. Nickel of Siemens A.G., Munich, on 4 August 1972.
33 Le Monde, 16 September 1970.
34 Le Monde, 23 October 1970, article by Jean Knecht.
35 “Stellungnahme der Vereinigung deutscher Wissenschaftler zum Cabora Bassa Projekt,” Afrika heute. Bonn, Heft 7, 1971, Sonderbeilage.
36 These decisions were made by the inter-ministerial commission for export guaranties to be granted by the government-backed Hermes export credit insurance company. Chancellor Kiesinger went to Lisbon in October 1968 to meet with Prime Minister Caetano.
37 Le Monde, 7 October 1970.
38 The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung left an inquiry for more detailed information concerning this t r ip unanswered.
39 Television interviews. Report, Sudwestfunk, Munich, 13 August 1973, transcript supplied by Bayerischer Rundfunk.
40 Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 5 February 1971; similar: Paul Sheldon, Vice-President, Gulf Oil Corporation: “ …a multi-national company must remain politically non-partisan abroad,” on 12 May 1971, report on hearings before the Subcommittee on Africa, Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives, 92nd Congress, First Session, Part 1, U.S. Business Involvement in Southern Africa, (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1972), p. 94.
41 Dr. Grossmann, Mr. Nickel, Siemens A.G., Munich, 4 August 1972. An inquiry with General Electric remained without reply.
42 U.S. Business Involvement in Southern Africa, p. 118, 175, 295.
43 The Hon. Charles C. Diggs, Jr., Chairman of the Black Caucus, in The Faces of Africa: Diversity and Progress, Repression and Struggle, p. 117 ff. No. 44 (26-32).