In fact there are two distinct though interlinked projects, the Cahora Bassa hydroelectric scheme and the Zambezi Valley Development Project (ZVDP). The C.B. dam is principally intended to create a bead for the hydroelectric plant, but will also help to even the flow of the river and permit a larger production of firm power throughout the year. South Africa as well as Portugal are interested in Cahora Bassa for both economic and political reasons. The scheme could represent an important step in Pretoria’s current efforts to redirect its external relations away from its earlier introspective isolation. For Portugal political gains would accrue from greater economic strength in Mozambique and from the presumed interest that investors would have in sustaining the Portuguese presence there. There is little doubt that the Cahora Bassa project is economically viable, but the ZVDP contains several elements; which are not likely to reach fruition for many years.
