The ManicaPost
Liberty Dube
Post Correspondent
SAVE River flows through a conservancy bountiful of breathtaking flora and fauna.
The river is 640km long and meanders through Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
The river has its source 80km south of Harare, flows south and then east to its confluence with Odzi River, before turning south, and then drops over Chivirira Falls, flowing down Middle Sabi Valley.
At the Mozambique border, the river is joined by Runde River and then crosses into Mozambique and resultantly into the Indian Ocean.
Save River was the route for the transportation of gold from the interior centred on Great Zimbabwe to the Indian Ocean Port Town of Sofala in Mozambique.
There are seven sub-catchments in the Save catchment area — namely Odzi, Upper Save, Lower Save, Macheke, Pungwe, Devure and Budzi.
The ecology of the lower Save River basin has, however, been affected by natural disasters such as cyclones, flooding and erosion.
The Save Valley is noted for its relentless heat, while the majesty of its baobab trees provides a therapeutic view.
There is a belief that Save River is mysterious and sacred, with some schools of thought saying the river is home to mermaids (njuzu).
Others believe that the river carries medicinal and spiritual therapy.
However, one can have a day-long visit to the river underneath Birchenough Bridge, with the waters providing the much-needed and highly recommended hydrotherapy.
Despite being crocodile infested, one can easily swim in the not-so-deep river side closer to the river bank.
Although there is no physical evidence that mermaids exist outside folklore, reports of mermaid sightings in the river have done the rounds.
Games and recreational activities can be done on the dry side of the river.
Cat wheels and sporting activities are now common features in the river sands.
With Save River flowing below it as it meanders to the Indian Ocean, the view from Birchenough Bridge creates memories that can be cherished for a lifetime.
Birchenough Bridge
Birchenough Bridge is a breathtaking piece of engineering excellence built over the mighty Save River, about eight kilometres south of Save and Odzi rivers’ confluence.
The bridge was named after Sir Henry Birchenough who was the chairman of the Beit Railway Trust and president of the then British South Africa Company.
The bridge was funded by the Beit Trust as a gift to the public of Southern Rhodesia.
The bridge crosses Save River with a single arch which rises to 280 feet above the river, and is 1 080 feet in length.
Birchenough Bridge was designed by Mr Ralph Freeman, a consulting engineer to the Beit Trust, and he is also credited with designing Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia and Beit Bridge over Limpopo River.
Its construction was supervised by Sir Douglas Fox and Partners of London.
The bridge’s superstructure contains 1 540 tonnes of high tensile steel.
The bridge deck provided a roadway width of 7,2 metres with footways on either side of the bridge.
It is suspended 20 metres above the river bed.
Foundations to the bridge were commenced in April 1934, and were ready for steelwork in November of the same year.
The arch span was completed on June 17, 1935, and the concrete roadway was practically complete at the end of September 1935.
Construction was completed on December 20, 1935, and the bridge was opened to traffic.
The contractors for the supply of steel, manufacture of steelwork and erection were Dorman Long and Company of Middlesbrough, England whose previous experience, as the builders of Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the arch bridge, of 530 feet span over Tyne, Newcastle was of great value.
Sir Henry Birchenough who was president of the BSAC from 1925 to 1937 to whom there is a memorial plaque on the end fillisters of the bridge, died in 1937, and his ashes and those of his wife are in one of the pillars of Birchenough Bridge.
The roadway is now 10 metres wide, but the original open grillage footwalks have been retained.
The anchorage ropes used were the actual ropes used for Sydney Harbour Bridge, and are now incorporated in Birchenough Bridge as the suspenders of the roadway.
