Eastern Bee

While much of the tourist amenities have sprung up on the downstream of the mighty Zambezi in the Southern province, especially around the Victoria Falls which is one of the amazing features of the river, its long course in North Western province where it has a source in Mwinilunga district has not been utilised. But that is about to change, and signs are looking up. This follows the construction of the Royal Kutachika lodge that has already taken shape in Zambezi district, a town named after the river. In May this year, 10 rooms opened for public use at Royal Kutachika, after an investment of K2.5 million. And an additional 18 rooms are to be constructed at a cost of K3 million as the proprietor, Philiep Cappelle, a Belgian national and his Zambian wife, Christine, unveil plans to turn a piece of land they acquired on the banks of the Zambezi river into a gem of tourists’ attraction. The lodge sits right in the heart of Zambezi town overlooking the river, which ...

Kajima Lwendo (right) with North-Western PS Nathaniel Mubukwanu By Innocent Daka Kajima Lwendo was ecstatic when he joined, for another moment in his life time, celebrations to mark the eleventh Lubinda Ntongo traditional ceremony of the Kaonde people in chief Mumena’s area of Solwezi. He stood at the entrance of the annual ceremony ground next to the 17 th century copper smelting traditional furnace of soil brickwork. “The furnace is a symbol of long history of the Kaonde people having lived with the art of working with copper since time immemorial before modern mining arrived here,” he said. Kajima Lwendo is a member of the Mutembuzi, the Lion Clan of the Kaonde people, who celebrate the Lubinda Ntongo ceremony—a mix of both old and new symbols of tradition. It is this day of the ceremony that the Kaonde eulogise their chief, as they retrace their tradition of hunting wild game and cultivating field crops to sustain their livelihood. “The whole ceremony is centr...

Babra's uncle, John Katandula By Innocent Daka It is only 09.00 hours in the morning but the people of Totoka village in Zambezi district have braved the bone-biting-cold, gathering at a house to drink a local brew beer and dance to rhumba music blasting from a solar powered Hi-fi machine. They are at this particular house to celebrate 15-year-old Barbara Ndonga for becoming a mother. Normally children would be in school at this hour, but they have also joined the party. “The celebration will go on for three days,” says John Katandula, the uncle to Barbara.   “I am very happy...she gave birth at 08.00 hours...she has given us a baby boy. From here we are going to take the celebration to the house of Alex Kabaza,” Katandula adds, pointing at the 30-year-old man who made her niece pregnant. While Kabaza joins the celebration, Barbara is isolated in a bulwark of grass-thatch and sticks. “She has to stay there to protect herself and the baby from the ‘bad thi...

Gen Kingsley Chinkuli The Patriotic Front government manifesto has won kudos from First Quantum Minerals Limited (FQML) country general manager Gen. Kingsley Chinkuli. Gen. Chinkuli said during a meeting on Monday in Solwezi that the mining firm has studied the manifesto of the PF and seen that it is social in nature and approach. And he has since pledged the mining firm support to the ruling party to enable it fulfil its aspirations. He said that FQML management is ready to sit down with government leaders to map out strategies to identify programmes that can be undertaken by the mining company to fulfil the aspiration of the ruling party. He said North Western province has been in deficit in terms of development and FQML as a corporate citizen operating in the area would love to work closely with government to bring development to the province. “As a corporate citizen, we are very prepared to work with government. Our position is that we are non-political and...