At independence, I never thought I would be around when Zambia would be 49. This was too distant to an unknown future. I am thrilled and blessed and feel very lucky.
Our currency was so powerful that I remember my father and I going to Chipata at the market. For one shilling which was 12 pence we could buy two cups of tea with milk and 6 large buns. For another penny you could have jam or margarine on all the buns.
My brother in-law was in his twenties and he and my sister were newly minted teachers in rural Chipata. He could get a catalog and order suits from UK using the Zambian pound through the post office. The clothes arrived in rural Chipata in the mail in about 2 weeks. At that time since the Zambian pound was so valuable, you could literally walk with the cash note in any Bank in London and conduct any transactions.
Add your own personal brief verse at the bottom of the attached poem and pass it along. Will the last person please send this to President Sata and the Zambian Media.
Best wishes on this glorious day.
By Mwizenge S. Tembo
On this Zambia’s Independence Day
If you are at Jimbe Bridge
north of Mwinilunga
Kiss the source of the Zambezi
For me
If you are in Mongu
At Lyembai Hotel
East some broiled Litapi (fish)
With delicious nshima
In front of the beautiful bay
For Me
If you are in Chililabombwe
The old Bancroft
Kiss the pulsating muscles
Of the miners for me
If you are in Mpulungu
Swim in the beautiful Lake Tanganyika
For me
If you are in Livingstone
See the Gorgeous Victoria Falls
For me but not too close to the edge
Be careful on the Knife Edge Bridge
If you are in Sinazongwe, Gwembe
And Siavonga
Eat some fresh Kapenta with nshima
And Zambezi bream
For me
If you are in the Luangwa
Game Park tell all the
Majestic wild animals
I send my greetings
If you are in Iteshi Teshi
Kiss all the babies
For me
If you are at Nyimba Bus Stop
Eat some of those sweet
Blazer sugar canes
Two dozen different bananas
For Me
If you are in Lusaka, Shang’ombo
Kasumbalesa, Tunduma, Nchelenge
Fall down to your knees
Kiss the sweet ground you stand on
That is Zambia
Dziko la Mkaka ndi Uci
(The country of Honey and Milk)
Independence Day 2013
Ba LT, please update with weekly pictures. we would like to see what how Zambia Independent day was captured on Camera.
poetic, sweet and lovely piece for mother Zambia
My brother, that is my wish too, independence pictures. But journalism in Zambia lives much to be desired. My daughter who is not even yet in university can teach our journalists in Zambia a lot. There are things which are just obvious which journalists fail to do.
Seriously?? sounds like utopia days. Thank God I was not there in those days.
It confirms that we are celebrating poverty.
hehehe, thank God for only seeing poverty in Zambia. What the man is saying is that he is bleeding and hurting that Zambia is finished, he saw the best of zambia and he is seeing the worst of Zambia now. He is lucky he has seen both..
At mambala, you have completed it & I agree 100%. Am jst glad I never lived to see Zed finishing. I found it finished
ISTILL REMEMEBER WHEN MY LATE DAD AND OTHER DIED HARD UNIP SUPPORTERS CAME FROM MWINILU’NGA BOMA (DISTRICT) HQ ON A BED FORD AND PROCLAIMED THAT ZAMBIA HAD ATTAINED SELF RULE. THEY SANG CHACHACHA CHOSOKENE ABANA BA ZAMBIA EYE BA KAUNDA YE BA KAPWEPWE ETC THE WHOLE NIGHT AND FIRE WORKS WERE LIT AT KAKOMA IN THE FOOTBAL GROUND. THOUGH YOUNG WE ENJOYED THE OCCASSION. BY THEN WE HAD BIG BROTHERS LIKE CHARLES KAFUMBU, DONEX KAKOMA, LACKSON MAKWAKA, JAMES KAWANGU JUST TO MENTION A FEW. YEARS LATER IT WAS AT INDEPENDENCE DAY THAT DRAMA WAS HELD AT NIGHT UNDER BORNFIRE, ON 23RD OCTOBER AND ON 24TH ITS WAS SPORTDS DAY FOLLOWED BY FEASTING A COW AND DRINKING SOFTIES. IT WAS SO NICE SUCH THAT ONE NEVER FELT LEFT BEHIND. TEACHERS WERE THEN CONDUIT OF CURRENT AFFAIRS.
And I remember the pulsating unity of those days as men and women swayed to the strong vocals of KK’s ‘Tiyende Pamodzi ndimtima umo…..tiloke limpopo…..amayitiye tilipamo……..’!!! Remember the 10th independence anniversary? We were united like a 12 strand cord… from the west to the north, the east to the south. Mainza Choma, Nalumino, Kamanga, Mulemba, Dingiswayo etc. What has gone wrong……country women and men? So much hatred…so much diatribe… so much tribe talk…..so much calumny.
Independence gone wrong
Thank you for the memories brother. Especially the condensed milk and the maggie cube spices not to mention Nescafe.
oh my God,
what a nice piece of poetry.
rekindling old memories.. my, my, my…
Now this is so sweet. Thank you brother Tembo.
Beautiful! ba Tembo, it is times like this when i read articles like this that i lay aside all the differences i.e political,cultural,tribal e.t.c and just reminisce on our great country and blessed land that we have, We have come this far with so much serenity and tranquility….Just think about this meditatively!! …I Love my Country….ONE ZAMBIA! ONE NATION!