IN OUR conversation today we continue with reactions from Zambians in South Africa and Botswana. We also spread the feedback on other issues raised in previous topics such as the need to formalise trade between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Effects on modern praying in Zambia in addition to proposals to relocate the capital, Lusaka.
Readers who continued to call regarding the last discussion felt that generally, councils countrywide have not done enough to keep environmental standards of the cities and towns.
Most of them do not collect garbage. They provide poor drainage facilities while those available are never unblocked. Despite many local authorities claiming that since government sold houses from where rent was collected as their main source of revenue, they still have other sources of income such as levy, rates from firms and residents, market and parking fees.
In any case, others argued, when the old stock of houses were sold off to sitting tenants, the government never stopped the local authorities from building houses either for sale or renting out.
The construction surge that came with the 1991 political rebirth has proportionally come with massive building boom of new houses and commercial structures where the local authorities rake in a lot of money through collection of rates.
What the councils simply need to do is improve the efficiency in rate collection. For example instead of waiting for people to default they could introduce online payments where clients can remit the money whether or not a bill has been dispatched to them. With the digital platform the local authorities could send reminders through text messages on mobile phones to boost debit collection. The current system of waiting for people to fail to pay then threaten them when they accumulate arrears is outdated and slow.
Our councils simply need to be innovative to raise money to pay salaries and maintain proper environment. At the moment the only activity most of them are pre-occupied with is scrambling for the sale of plots, some of them illegally. That is why a Zambian based in Botswana, Chris Kabandama, reacting to the proposal to relocate the capital, he said Lusaka had now been relegated into a dumpsite. He writes:
“Lusaka is a glorified dumpsite, for both trash of all sorts and ‘humans waste’…[not as in what they excrete but them being the actual waste]. Like I always say, we the blacks were never meant to manage towns and cities. These places have never been our natural habitat. The concept came with the white man. Our natural habitat is the village. We should have let him manage the concept and us to just live in and continuously being monitored on how to live and [forcibly] maintain these spaces. Imagine how we’ve lost ‘parks’… Every open space that was meant as such has since been built on, allocated to the present occupant by a ward councillor, council chairman or a cadre. What sort of management or mismanagement is that? And to imagine people even went to school to study Town Planning…who are actually working in the various councils across the country. It’s shameful. It’s no wonder they’re crying now that ‘The Trump’ has cut off their source of life. Like he said, ‘they don’t think’. It’s time to start thinking.”
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Another reader, Chris Malama of Ndola, writes:
“I will narrow down to our city of Ndola where negligence of duty at the civic centre has been at its best compounded with alleged corrupt officials giving plots where it’s not supposed to.
‘ What the Councils simply need to do is improve the efficiency in rate collection’
I will give an example of the two roads running from the civic centre which were supposed to run through the Labour Office all the way up to Itawa across the Kafubu River as per plan from their planning office. The next road runs through the Main Post Office, then through Checha, which is supposed to go all the way through the Kafubu River with a nice bridge up to Itawa.We would have had two or three inlets with nice bridges the one from the southern part of Ndola. But what happened? Go and ask the city fathers. Former Copperbelt ministers Alexander Kamalondo, Kangwa Nsuluka, aldermen Pat Puta, Thom Mtine and others who served the city in the past left a good mark. Today the city has stalled in terms of development. The road Blantire from Broadway junction through Central Police Station and Saint Andrew’s is supposed to have gone all the way to Itawa and make connections with the other road. What a beautiful city Ndola would have been. Cry, indeed, the beloved city gone to waste.”
The reaction to the proposal to formalise trade between the DRC and Zambia came from a Zambian living in South Africa. He wrote:
“Good evening Ba Sikazwe.
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This is Azwell Banda in South Africa. I have just finished reading your beautiful piece and powerful call about the border trade between Zambians and DRC citizens in The Mast newspaper today. Well done! I was at Luwingu Secondary School during my last two years of schooling, and coming from Kitwe, I used to travel through the border with Zaire then, to go to Luwingu. You bring back memories of the bustling life I used to see at the border with Zaire! And you have not lost your great ability to write a readable, enjoyable human interest great story! I hope you start to write frequently for The Mast or any Zambian media! Again, thank you for a beautiful piece of writing! Do have a restful night.”
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Andrew Chulu from Chinsali in Muchinga Province writes:
“Dear Mr Sikazwe
Your article brought old memories to me. Even today I still see the wax chitenges at Intercity in Lusaka. It’s a big business. I usually buy those chitenges whenever I am visiting Chipata as gifts to my relatives and they like the brands.
You gave a very rich background. In 1972 I was doing my Grade 6 in Kabwe at Mine School. I have never been to Chililabombwe, Chingola and Mufulira. One day I may visit these towns, time permitting.
Also in the past we used to see a lot of football players from Zaire, now DRC, playing for Mufulira Wanderers, Mufulira Blackpool, Konkola Blades and
Kitwe United. Also some musicians came from DRC.
I remember in 1999 we hosted the refugees from DRC till 2009. They changed the face of Mporokoso. They did a lot of entrepreneurial work. They rode to Kaputa areas on bicycles and brought fresh fish every morning for sale in the BOMA. They would bring chitenges through Kashiba in Luapula. I learnt a lot from them. They did a lot of self-supporting work to survive, not waiting for alms.
Most of our women in the BOMA started self-reliance works. I worked at Mwange Refuge Camp. There was good cooperation between us and the refugees. We co-existed very well. I used to head the clinical department at Mporokoso District Hospital.
Good day.”
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After responding to his email he further replied:
“Mr Sikazwe.
Afternoon sir! Thanks for your response. Currently retired and living in Chinsali. I remember in 1973 we played the finals of Africa Cup in Cairo. First match we drew 2-2 then the match replay we lost 2-0 against Zaire.
One of Zambia’s strikers was Simon Kaushi Kaodi. We were told he grew up in DRC. He used to play for Mufulira Black Pool.
DRC is a huge market for Zambia and most of Zambian players were playing for TP Mazembe.”
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Another one writes:
Dear Mr Sikazwe.
I hope the message finds you well. My name is Malunga Mvula based on the Coppebelt Province of Zambia. I recently came across one of your conversations in The Mast newspaper of 23 January, 2025 and immediately fell in love with how you wrote the article. If it is possible I am requesting if you can avail your published books on soft copy or your weekly bulletins in The Mast to be sent to my e-mail or WhatsApp. I have to admit my childhood dream was to become a journalist, but my plans were not God’s plans. I lost hope in the Zambian media, thinking there were no good journalists out there. I guess I was wrong. Forgive my English. I am in the Engineering profession, but to say the least the work you are doing is greatly appreciated, and keep it up. I will wait for your response.”
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The last reaction was a one-sentence reply.
“Regulate the Church business in Zambia.
Thanks again. Continue with the responses to keep the conversation running. Good day
Andrew.”
Hicks Sikazwe is author of Zambia’s Fall back Presidents, Wasted Years and Voters in Shadows. He is former Deputy Editor in Chief of the Times of Zambia, now Media and Communications consultant based in Ndola Comments 0955/0966929611 or hpsikazwe@gmail.com corrections. The finals were played in March 1974.
