Chief Problems

You would think that being a tribal chief would be all powerful but that is not always the case.

In one community there has been no chief since the last one died because two half brothers are both claiming the throne and the President who, like the Arch bishop of Canterbury and the monarch in Britain has to announce his approval before the chief can have any legal standing.  Whether or not the president cannot decide or is waiting for the tribe to settle the dispute I do not know.

In another case, near Kasama the chief has been prevented from entering his palace by the villagers who accuse him of stealing funds they had raised in order to hire a witch finder to track down one or more witches who must be to blame for a growing number of snake bites.  The District Commissioner has been petitioned to persuade the president to get the chief sacked.  The Commissioner has visited the community to hear their side and is now talking to the chief in his hideout. 

Otherwise we have two new Irish volunteers bringing with them a bag of smuggled blue Tipperary cheese so they are most welcome

Lusaka once again

Alice, my VSO boss arrives from Lusaka to see what we are doing, re-assures me not to worry, just to make contacts in Kasama and the 5 District Councils where we are working and I will find plenty of useful things to work upon.  The temporary lack of petrol in the Province has prevented us from getting out of town but that is now solved so things may be looking up.  First though I have to go personally to Immigration in Lusaka to sign for and collect my work permit which, I’m assured will keep Immigration in Kasama happy despite it being just for the originally planned three months, now completed. A further permit to the end of September is being organised to receive in a month or two.

Still, Alice is driving back the 500 miles and can give me a lift, as well as buying my first (acrylic) painting from Kabwe.  The road is generally good and the potholes easy to see in the daylight – not like a fortnight ago when two coaches collided leaving 25 passengers dead, or dead  before they could be got to Kabwe hospital.  Staying at a reasonable hotel I was then able to get my work permit – as elaborate looking as the one I had in China and then a shopping spree for our house – spare petrol can, a few keys cutting, as much Indian food as I could carry and a cable to link our laptops with a projector. A bus then to Kabwe for a weekend with friends who I had made there before an uneventful bus ride back North in time for an evening soiree at Brother Dominic’s house – he is a keen cyclist, player of the pipes, and raconteur having lived in Kasama since 1963.

falls ner Kasama

Municipal Offices

Monkey at the falls

KASAMA TOWN

We never found Wonder Gorge.  Everyone had heard about it but had never been there – after all its only landscape, not like a shopping mall or cinema.  Never mind, we saw plenty of countryside and my driver/guide knew many of thr small farmers from his agriculture ministry work. Next time must use google earth as well as the map to find the way.  

The journey to Kasama, my new placement, looked promising at 7am with a double decker bus and a window seat but it failed to leave Kabwe and everyone had to wait for a replacement coach from Lusaka. So we left at midday, getting to Kasama at 10pm but happily met by volunteer planner Pete, with whom I am sharing a house – along with an Irish volunteer when he gets here next month.  The house, a bungalow of course, has four bedrooms, huge living room and a green garden with many trees.  The roof does not leak and there have been no power cuts in my first week. Only the water gets cut off about 5pm each night.

The office is on the other side of the town centre – probably an hours walk, we will see next week as petrol supplies have dried up and with the hills and the state of the roads I’m not keen on cycling here.  Not  clear at all what work I am doing but meeting colleagues usually with un-pronounceable names and making plans to discuss with our VSO manager when she visits shortly.

painting from Kabwe

My new home

Kasama town

VICTORIA FALLS

Wake up in the morning to the noisy sound of a generator – clearly another power cut.  But, no, the sound is actually the great Victoria falls just ten minutes walk away from my luxury hotel which also happens to be inside a National Park so apart from the monkeys we have gazelles, zebra and giraffes wandering about the grounds.  A guided tour around the park reveled more wildlife – hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes and more but sadly no elephants or lions “they’ve crossed the river and gone to Botswana because it’s too wet here just now”.

The falls were astounding, lots of climbing about and getting wet but well worth it. Returning I flew to Lusaka instead of the six hour bus journey and amazingly found some acrylic paints at last before getting the bus home to Kabwe.

Preparing now for my relocation to Kasama on Monday. Eight hours on the bus but still quicker, and possibly more comfortable than the occasional train. Before that I am going with local friends to see Wonder Gorge and share a picnic about 50km east – pictures next time hopefully.

 

 

 

Office report

As anticipated, it has been difficult to make a meaningful contribution in the limited time available though personally I have learnt much about the rapidly evolving physical planning system in Zambia. I have enjoyed working with well qualified and enthusiastic colleagues and experiencing life in Kabwe town from the fading grandeur of Tuskers Hotel to home brew in the settlements.

At Mkushi town where a chief has agreed to the town being expanded by nearly ten times in area I was pleased to be involved in preparing a survey questionnaire for a sample of the new population, photographic records and attending meetings with the Chief.  I also made written comments on recent planning issues in the town and on a previous planning study by the District Council.

In the office I have been involved in research, discussions and reports on the new 2015 Planning Act and associated draft regulations including observations from a European perspective on housing density particularly in relation to the changing policies on settlements. 

With colleagues I have looked at the relationship of Planning with other Acts of Parliament in particular the Public Health act and its associated Building Regulations, and at areas of occasional conflict.  

I have had meetings with Planners in the Kabwe Municipal Council and sought to understand the political structure and outside influences as they affect the physical development of the town which is still endeavouring to recover from its previous mining heritage.

 

my suburb
 
a lake at the former mine
 
Town centre tree (again)

fish and trains

Funny how in any Country it seems that the people who get up and go to work earliest and who come home latest are the ones who earn the least amount.  I’m sure there’s a moral there somewhere – I will work it out one day!

To the old mine site again, looking for the fabled lakes so visible on Google Earth and spoken of in travellers tales.  Despite the gritty remains of pit wastes there is a jungle of reeds and bushes making progress difficult and with little visibility nevertheless, and with the help of families sifting for gravel for concrete I do find two of the smaller lakes which look to have potential for sailing and fishing.

At the railway station there is one official who confirms that I can get to Livingstone at a very reasonable rate but only twice a week at 2am and an 18 hour journey. The sleeper and business coaches advertised on the radio are no longer provided and using the same train to go to Lusaka is also cheap but takes twice as long as the buses

Minehead lake

Town centre

rented settlement homes