INVENTING THE INVENTIONS: SIABONGA TO SIAVONGA, KARIVA TO KARIBA DAM

 
For the first time in thousands of years, since its creation, the free flow of the mighty Zambezi River ceased!
The Kariba Dam is a double curvature concrete arch dam in the Kariba Gorge of the Zambezi river basin between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It stands 128 metres tall and 579 metres long. The dam forms Lake Kariba, which extends for 280 kilometres and holds about 185 cubic kilometres of water.
The Zambezi River rises in north western Zambia and its catchment area covers 1 352 000 square kilometres and eight countries, namely Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It enters the Indian Ocean in Mozambique at Quelimane. Along this river was a valley where the Shonas could transact with the Tonga's and the Shonas could always say Siabonga, meaning 'thank you.' When the whites struggled to pronounce it, they renamed it 'SIAVONGA.' On the other hand, the name Kariba came from Kariva – meaning trap. It refers to a rock which thrust out of the swirling water at the entrance to the gorge close to the dam wall site, now buried more than a hundred feet below the water surface. In many legends, this rock was regarded as the home of the great River god Nyaminyami, who caused anyone who ventured near to be sucked down for ever into the depths of the river. In the process of inventing, Kariva was renamed 'Kariba.'
Along this great river, the Electricity Supply Commission allocated funds for construction of the dam in 1941 and the board of experts resolved to quick start the invention in 1951. It was a highly debated and politicised move. In August 1955, the contract for the construction of the wall and power station was eventually awarded to Italian consortium on July 16, 1956 after it was designed by the French engineer and inventor Andre Coyne, who personally designed over 55 dams in his lifetime.
In this invention, over one million cubic metres of rock was excavated and by December 1956, the north bank coffer dam and diversion tunnel were both completed. The dam measures 36.6 metre high wall with a thickness of over 24 metres to sustain the pressure of nearly ten million litres of water passing through the spillway each second.
Today, the dam remains a source of livelihood for residents of Chirundu, Siavonga, Gwembe and Sinazongwe districts. Siavonga formerly Siabonga, remains one of Zambia's tourist destinations. The Kariva god, now Kariba dam, now lights homes for over 18 millions of Zambians. Over 70% of Zambia's industries depend on power from the dam for their operation. Lodges and surrounding businesses have created thousands of employment to the locals. Many inventions coming country wide, it's because of power from the dam powering the nation. Over half a century ago, great minds invented and we are bettering our lives today.
INVENTING THE INVENTIONS, SIABONGA.