When the Kakoso Bridge collapsed in the early hours of Sunday 1 March 2026 following an overnight rainstorm the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) responded immediately to support emergency restoration operations. Leveraging its air mobility capability the ZAF provided rapid reconnaissance, transported critical personnel and enabled the potential airlift of essential equipment to the disaster site.
A Mi-17I helicopter was deployed to ferry members of the Task Force including Zambia National Service (ZNS) Commander Lt Gen (Eng) Maliti Solochi II, Deputy Army Commander and Chief of Staff Maj Gen Luswepo Sinyiza and Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) Coordinator Mr Norman Chipakupaku directly to the Kakoso Bridge site on Sunday afternoon.
Following the collapse President and Commander-In-Chief of the Defence Forces Mr Hakainde Hichilema issued a directive to form a dedicated Task Force to restore traffic flow between Chingola and Chililabombwe. The team was tasked with constructing a temporary detour within 48 hours. Alongside State institutions the Task Force includes support from AVIC International to accelerate reconstruction efforts.
Through this swift deployment the Zambia Air Force demonstrated its dual mandate: to defend the nation and provide critical support during emergencies, ensuring both speed and reach in times of need.
