Mole in the Hole

Written By: The Lowdown - Sep• 30•12

Oh, How are The Mighty Have Fallen

Once upon a time I was elevated to the position of Mine Superintendent (Acting Unpaid) and in that elevated position I was sent to relieve people going on leave or sick or even when they had been very naughty tortoises and had their blasting licences suspended by none other than Evaristo Kambaila, the new Chief Inspector of Mines. Evaristo had been through the usual learner mine official experience and, no doubt, had taken a number of hard knocks along the way. When he realised that his natural brilliance and, as he thought, undoubted ability, were not given sufficient recognition in the way of rapid promotion, he quit the mines and joined the Government Inspectorate. When Peter Harmer, the last Muzungu to be Chief Inspector came to retire it was only natural that our well connected Evaristo be elevated to that awesome position of power. To be fair Evaristo was not a vindictive chap but he did have a couple of scores to settle and settle them he did!

On a previous acting role, that of Mine Sup (Technical), at Nkana Division, I had need to go underground at the South Orebody shaft to look at a place that could be used as a start point for a ramp going up from a haulage to serve a number of intermediate levels. I was escorted by the splendid Spike Hovelmeir who knew all the Nkana Mines well with a lifetime of service, not least as the person in charge of the mine rescue teams, under his belt. We found the cross cut, quite close to the shaft and started into it. It was full of rubbish, broken drill steels, an old coco pan and then, horror, horror, considerable quantities of abandoned explosives in very dangerous condition. Blasters, over the years, their jobs done but with a stick or two surplus to requirement were late to catch the cage to surface so, rather than return to put the surplus in an explosive box, they just lobbed the stuff into this one convenient crosscut. Over the years this had become what could only be described as a disaster just waiting to happen. Spike, totally embarrassed about this find, had me taken away to surface whilst he supervised the disposal of the stuff.

The matter was reported to the Lord and Master, The Manager Mining, Mr Dave Lendrum, who issued instructions that all such places and other out of the way nooks and crannies should be inspected to ensure that any similar caches be discovered and properly disposed of. I thought no more about it, my acting time was up and I returned to little Chibuluma Mine to bang my head against rocks there.

The search for the abandoned explosives proved far more fruitful than expected, especially in the “water drives” at Mindola Shaft. These drives are mined in parallel to the main haulages at a slightly lower (1 metre) elevation. They are mined via angled crosscuts from, and advance ahead of, the haulage. Pilot holes are drilled from there to check for any water ahead and drainage holes are drilled through the orebody into the hanging wall to ensure that all is dewatered well before any mining is carried out. They are connected to the return air system so that air is pulled out of them thereby getting air to flow up the haulage to where it is needed. To prevent the air short circuiting the crosscuts used to mine the water drives in the first place are blocked off and can be used as stores etc. When not used as such only a little inspection hatch is left and it provided an excellent place to dump unwanted explosives. Well, what to do with all this horrible mess of explosives? Let us find one of these old crosscuts, all blocked off, pile the stuff in there and blow it all up at one primary blasting time when all but blasters were clear of all the workings. The crosscut was on the return air side so there would be no danger from fumes and it would be easier, quicker and safer than taking the stuff out of the mine for proper disposal. What a good idea. The dreaded deed was done but contained one flaw, no one bothered to check what was behind the block wall sealing off the crosscut. There someone had used the crosscut to install an underground explosives magazine containing some 50 cases of powder. The result was spectacular to say the least. The haulage was wrecked, production from a major production level stopped for a week and red faces were all round. The incident had to be reported to the Inspectorate and Evaristo gained his revenge by suspending the Blasting Licences of the Mine Superintendent and his assistants, thereby debarring them from any supervisory position on the mine! Mr. Lendrum escaped censure by a whisker but his suggestions for replacements did not meet Evaristo’s approval; he had a long memory! Eventually I was chosen, Evaristo having nothing negative to say about me, largely because he did not really know me from a bar of soap. That, however, was soon to change.

Such then were the circumstances that I became the man in charge of a mine 7 kilometres in length, its lowest production level over 4000 feet below ground and all expected to produce 8000 tonnes of ore per day. MAGIC! I was quick to discover that however much I liked the job; it really was a poisoned chalice. I was a stranger, foisted upon an organisation that had their own ideas as to whom should be at the helm. I did not know the mine, it was immense, and I found myself underground 6 days a week literally exploring the whole place. To the north was North Shaft, a separate section underneath the Mindola Open Pit, with muddy ore that tended to gum things up that had to be transported on the 1380 level the 4 odd kilometres back to the old main shaft for hoisting to surface. The lower levels of the mine were serviced by a sub vertical shaft up which rock was hoisted and then transferred by conveyor belt to the new main shaft for hoisting to surface into a bin that fed the 800 tonne load trains that would take the ore to the Concentrator 6 kilometres away. The main production section was called the 36-39 North and it was horrible. The air circulation there was poor and the geothermal gradient high. To work there required the use of refrigeration plants, cooling the intake air but this was but faint assistance by the time it got into the working section 3 kilometres away. The underground manager in charge of the section, one Austen Chipenzi, was a splendid chap; there were only a couple of problems with him. He was a clever, splendid theoretician but a) could not mine for toffee and b) could not see danger. This was bad, because there was danger all around. The whole area was coming under pressure; things were falling down about the place. Maybe this was supposed to be the standard here so I brought the Manager down to have a look and he concurred with me that a bit of improvement must be made. As we walked off down the haulage a whole chunk of it collapsed behind us. Mr. Lendrum wondered whether I was after his job! It became rather obvious that Austen could not be left alone so I spent a considerable amount of time down in his section trying to ensure that he did not kill himself or anyone else for that matter. On one Saturday lunchtime I emerged from the cage to find the General Manager, Peter Chileshe, there. I was castigated. Mine Superintendents are only supposed to go underground on rare occasions! I gave my excuses; I was worried about poor old Austen. “Fire him” was the retort. I demurred; it would not help my continued stay in Zambia if the Zambianisation Committee discovered they had this Muzungu going round firing their rising stars. “You want him fired, you fire him!” Of course, it did not happen, Austen was indeed promptly replaced but he was put into the technical side of things, emerging, some years later, as the General Manager of Konkola, thankfully only for a short while! Peter Chileshe was the first Zambian General Manager on the mines. He did not last long, which was a shame, because he was good at it. Unluckily he overturned his RangeRover on the dual carriageway on his way back from attending a tennis match in Ndola and died in Wusakile hospital where, it was said, that doctors and nurses were too scared to attend to him lest they be blamed for his death.

Death came to North Shaft. The muddy ground had hung up in a box raise. The chaps had tried to wash it down from above by putting water into the box raise. No joy, so someone went in on top of the box with explosives on the end of a bamboo to blast the hang up down but whilst he was placing the charge all came down in a big mud rush and smothered him, even though he had been standing on a “safe” place. Evaristo was onto the case. I escorted him to the place and we discussed all at length. The use of water in the raises was banned, the hang up to be brought down in the conventional manner. As long as there was no water above the hang up all would be OK. If there was water then a drill should be set up and a hole drilled up through the rock to the hang up and a charge placed through the drill hole. A memo was issued to that effect. Not one week later, in the same shaft, an identical accident occurred. I was down there with Evaristo as the poor victim was dug out. All he had wanted to do was get production going and paid the ultimate penalty. What saved my bacon from the wrath of Evaristo was that the victim had a copy of my memo in the pocket of his overalls.

One of the perks of being the Mine Superintendent at Mindola (apart from the egg rolls made fresh for you on a Saturday morning) was that when you indicated that you wished to visit a section during the morning meeting a smooth operation was set in action. At 8.45 you went to your Manager’s change house, all your gear was laid out for you, the attendant fussed over you, your cap lamp, a good one (woe betide the cap lamp room man who gave the boss a duff lamp) was brought to you and even fitted on your belt for you. You crossed to the shaft, the cage was there for you, freshly washed; down you went to the 2720. There a little train stood waiting for you and you were taken the 2 km to the top of the sub vertical shaft where again the cage was waiting for you. Down again to the top of the area that you wished to inspect, often the 3620 level (the number of feet below surface) where another train was waiting to take you the 3 odd km to the entrance of the working area where the Underground Manager and his Mine Captain were standing to attention awaiting you. You would then inspect the section, sub level by sub level, climbing down the ladders until you eventually emerged on the lower haulage on the 3920 level. There a little train awaited you and the whole process was reversed until you found yourself back in the change house, cosseted with cocoa or orange juice, the shower running hot, clean fluffy towels laid out and your shoes had been burnished whilst you were down below.

Imagine the scene, then, some 24 years later, where one old muzungu, who no one knew, had to change into the overalls and gear that he had brought, in a corner of a tatty change house, had to fight for a place in the cage, had to walk the 2 km to the sub vertical shaft, beg a place going down to the working level, where, after another long walk, he arrived at the place where contractors were mending rail track under his supervision. After the visit, the return to the shaft, sometimes a wait of two hours or more before a place in the cage could be taken, a similar wait at the main shaft before heading for surface, crammed in with 120 other sweaty miners to surface to take a cold shower before tottering off home. Oh, how are the Mighty have fallen!!!!

Posted in 2012, 2012-09 , Mole in the Hole | No Comments »

When Is The Right Time To Split Up?

Written By: The Lowdown - Sep• 30•12

The other day I read an article in the glossy magazine Psychologies with the title of this column. I was intrigued by it as I thought that you don’t need a psychologist to realise that your love affair is over. After all, that is either when you pack your bags or are being thrown out of the house by your now ex-partner. Yet, the article occupied two pages of the magazine. Before telling you about the article let me present you two cases on the subject matter.

The first time I came across a reason for ending an affair was in a Woody Allen movie. The movies main character (Allen himself) explained that he ended an affair with a beautiful woman because she persistently sank the little boats he was playing with in the bath tub! Allen was by that time around 35 years old; so his reason for ending the relationship is fully understandable! This story is symbolic for many relationships on the brink of break up. After all, in a long relationship mutual irritations tend to mount to unbearable heights.

Talking about irritations, I knew a couple the husband of which had the habit of picking his nose in public. After many complaints his wife he tried to limit the nose picking but had difficulty containing it. So, when he was reading the newspaper, sure enough, he picked his nose behind it so that his wife wouldn’t see. However, clever as she was, she knew! Anyway, even if she had not known, the picker’s nose often started to bleed and he had to rush to the bathroom to get a tissue to stop the bleeding. I don’t know whether the couple is still together; it might well be that the husband died of an unstoppable loss of blood, or that his wife ran away with the chemist where she bought the tissues.

Now, let me share a few insights which the article in Psychologies provided. The article is in fact dealing more with the question why, for heaven’s sake, troubled couples stay together instead of splitting up! The specific question dealt with was: ‘What drives some of us to remain in a relationship, initially romantic but gradually more and more joyless?’ The answer is that mothers and mothers–in-law have something to do with it. One woman told the magazine’s reporter that she stayed with her husband until her mother-in-law died, after which she had the heart to quit and immediately ran to her first sweetheart! Psychologies delved even deeper, in the sense that they interviewed women recently separated who admitted that they entered into a relationship gone wrong to please their mothers. Can you imagine! However, when I went through other articles in the same magazine I discovered that all of them were about the relationship between mothers and daughters, so I guess that the one about love affairs gone wrong was a bit biased against mothers, including mothers-in-law. By the way, the article didn’t spend a word on the true victims of separation: the children.

The article also provided some advice. One was trial separations! That is to say take a break and leave your partner for some time. And then reflect on the following therapeutic questions about your relationship: what’s wrong with it, is it as bad, or am I at fault? Well, I can tell you from my own experience that this doesn’t work as 10 minutes after reuniting with your partner surely the old nagging is back in full force! However, I know of one trial separation that worked, but not in the way the therapists had in mind! It concerns a couple who had lived for many unhappy years together. I thought that the husband was an ill-tempered character. Imagine my surprise when I met him again after a long time. He seemed to have undergone a character transplantation, as he radiated happiness all over the place. When I asked him what had happened he told me that when temporarily separated he had met his childhood girlfriend, they had fallen in love again on the spot, after which he had packed his bags and left his wife.

All of us know couples who, to put it mildly, don’t get along well; they fight all the time, criticise each other and yet they stick together. How come? One explanation is that the partners involved draw some sort of neurotic benefit from it, says the article. Well, the couple involved may benefit but their visitors certainly not. I dread to visit one of my friends, stuck in such a relationship, as it is no fun to be in the middle of the endless mudslinging between them.

One would almost forget that there are also many couples who manage to live happily together forever. You recognise them when you see them. In my home country, Holland, they often wear the same type of (ugly) sports uniforms, ride the same brand of bicycles, wear the same type of glasses, even the same set of dentures. In short, they look alike! Yet, there is no doubt that they are happy and very probably have a fulfilling sex life, although I have difficulty to imagine that they would ever commit the intimate act of love making! As my wife rightly retorted, when I shared my difficulty with her, that that was none of my business!

The Psychologies article is not very helpful in assisting couples in trouble to repair their relationship. But there is hope, as I am completing a handbook entitled The Professional Marriage, which contains the dos and don’ts in a relationship. The book covers a broad spectrum of subjects, ranging from sex to doing the dishes. Once it is finished I will ask the The Lowdown’s editor to publish excerpts of the book for your enjoyment. I’ll keep you posted!

By Peter de Haan

Posted in 2012, 2012-09 , Peter de Haan | No Comments »

The Easel

Written By: The Lowdown - Sep• 30•12

Carol Aslin, one of Zambia’s leading artists, will hold her sixteenth exhibition this September. This exhibition is eagerly awaited by her collectors worldwide and has taken two years to come to fruition. It will feature three different media – oil painting, monoprints and sculpture. Carol has spent the last two years honing new skills and finding new inspiration to drive her work ever forward. She has never been content to tread the same path, no matter how successful she has become.

Carol’s life has contained a number of circles. Born in Zimbabwe, she grew up in Zambia but later left to study, live and work in New York and the UK. She then returned to Zambia with her British husband in 1998.

Art is another circle that defines her. Her art is a ceaseless exploration of her muse, of the ways in which she can present her ideas through different techniques, (whether painting, monoprint or etching), and of the different methods she can employ within each technique. The interplay of all these elements is the circle of her art.

The oil paintings mark a new direction for this established landscape and wildlife artist. Carol was inspired by the series of etchings she did two years ago, entitled ‘Journeying’ which changed the course of her painting and opened up another world of drawing and imagination. She is now depicting more mystical and abstract subject matter. Carol’s seismic exhibition of etching work in Lusaka in 2010 also featured the work of other notable printmakers, Cynthia Zukas, Lutanda Mwamba, Agnus Yombe and Patrick Mweemba.

Carol has always been drawn to the exploration of death and the afterlife. This new exhibition in September will feature a number of paintings on this subject. Carol is examining her fascination with the idea that we are not alone – that we possess a soul or spirit which accompanies and protects us throughout our lives. ‘Space Travel’, ‘Pin Stripes and Lizards’, ‘A New Day’ are just some of the paintings which portray how the artist visualises this. She has been heavily influenced by the Philip Pullman trilogy ‘His Dark Materials’ and was captivated by his image of our souls as animals. And this goes full circle to her understanding of nature, seen from her days living in the LuangwaValley. It was here that she observed the symbiosis in nature, where each insect, plant and animal is necessary to protect the fragile balance of nature’s ecosystems.

From this thoughtful and spiritual stage, Carol then emerges into a celebration of life with the resulting bold, bright and optimistic paintings of people, usually with women as the core subject with the suggestion of a man, mysteriously half-glimpsed in the background.

A keen dressage rider, Carol’s love of horses comes through in several works that depict our different relationships and experiences with horses – riders on horses, Edwardian side-saddle riders and an arresting carousel horse – the largest piece in the exhibition.

All her paintings are highly textured pieces, with paint applied in layers, using brushes, palette knives, card and hands, together with a variety of mixed media such as gold leaf, marble dust, pastels and sand, which are scratched or rubbed onto the canvas. She is constantly experimenting to find out how her message will change depending on whether she has used fingers, brush or knife blade.

Her time at the Artichoke Studio in London (one of the leading professional fine art print workshops) led Carol to explore the monoprint medium.

A monoprint is a single impression of an image made from a reprintable block, such as a metal plate used for an etching. But instead of printing an edition of multiple copies of a single image, only one impression can be produced.

Monoprints may also involve elements that change, where the artist reworks the image in between impressions or after printing, perhaps using collage, or hand-painted additions, so that no two prints can be identical. It is because of this that the monoprint process is so expressive and unique.

Monoprints are known as the most painterly method among the various printmaking techniques; a monoprint is essentially a printed painting. Carol was inspired to develop this medium because of its spontaneity and its rare combination of printmaking, painting and drawing media.

The pieces Carol will exhibit are an intriguing blend of abstract and realistic images, such as ‘Rue du Chat Qui Peche’, which was inspired by an image seen during a recent trip to Paris.

Sculptural artworks will, for the first time, be part of Carol’s exhibition. Linking back to her belief that we have guardian spirits protecting us, this introductory, ‘taster’ selection of sculptures depict angels, but not perfect, beautiful, textbook specimens. These angels have old, worn bodies, weary of life perhaps, but wise and reflective spirits nonetheless. The bodies are worked from clay, with wings of copper, seed pods, wire and aluminium.

Carol has now reached a time of great artistic satisfaction. All the elements of her art are coming together. She says “The best thing that has happened to me is that my early dreams, unexpectedly, are slowly becoming a reality.” Influenced by a range of artists, from Picasso to Freud, from Matisse to Turner, Carol has always been inspired by our planet and its beauty, together with the animals that inhabit it. But inspiration is just one of her ingredients. The process of making her art is something that she has always explored. The use of colour, how colours play off each other and vibrate. How to interpret her subject and portray it in new ways. How to imbue her work with the soul of the subject, be it human or animal.

For those lucky enough to view this exhibition, they will see that Carol’s artistic journey has come full circle. For now, that is – until her next artistic circle begins to orbit.

The exhibition will be opening on Thursday 13 September and closing on 20 September at the Alliance Francaise de Lusaka. If you would like to attend the opening night please call Carol on 0977 879-144 for an invitation.

By Sarah Harrison

Posted in 2012, 2012-09 , art exhibition, The Easel | No Comments »

Sweet Deals

Written By: The Lowdown - Sep• 30•12

I love twisted liquorice and when a visiting author suggested we meet at Levy Junction for a chat, I agreed readily as I had been told that the newly opened Food Lovers Market sold liquorice.

The expected traffic congestion and hunt for parking did not materialise. It was a Saturday in the middle of the month which may well be the reason for this. But it meant that I had a few minutes to spare before the interview so thought I would take a quick look around Food Lovers Market, not only to get my liquorice but to have a good look at what else was available. It is always nice to find yourself with a few unexpected minutes to spare and I was feeling relaxed and enthusiastic about the task at hand.

But so much for that! The good feeling lasted less than ten seconds as I was confronted by a big sign at the door telling me “Spesiale Aanbod”. What the ……….?

Surely it is not that difficult to get your pre-made sign in English?

Or if that is difficult, what about Zulu? I am sure a greater percentage of our population would understand Zulu signs than Afrikaans signs.

Putting the signs behind me, both literally and figuratively, I was attracted to the colourful display of apples and thought it would make a nice background photo for this article. Whipping out my camera I first stepped back to take a photo of the foreign language sign and then proceeded with the apples.

My plans for an article with good visual representation of the available products (a picture tells a thousand words and all that) was short lived as I was approached by a security guard who pointed out the not very visible sign saying ‘no cameras’. What the …….?

I have never been able to understand how cameras seem to trip a little button in the brains of some people. Sure, I understand, and fully support, that there are security reasons why communications installations and the like should not be photographed. But displays of potatoes and pumpkins?

Really!

No, I was not going to ask for the manager’s permission to take photos. That is the whole point of us doing reviews anonymously – so that we get the same treatment as any of their customers; we do not want the ‘walk around’ and special treatment.

Frankly after all of this, my enthusiasm was very much on the wane, so I took a quick look at the olive oils where the oil is tapped into the bottle whilst you wait, glanced at the double chocolate muffins, had a small bag of liquorice filled and made my way to the till.

This was really an unfortunate interlude as I am sure that the items available for purchase are of good quality and reasonably priced, they have a good selection and a good number of speciality products not available elsewhere. But an Afrikaans sign as I walk into the shop in the centre of Lusaka and then to be approached by beret-clad security guard was more than I could cope with that day.

Perhaps by the next time I have a strong desire for liquorice twists or one of the other variety of sweets that they stock, there may be signs written in English and I will feel more positively disposed towards spending the time taking a look at what they do have on offer.

Posted in 2012, 2012-12 | No Comments »

Miracle Miles

Written By: The Lowdown - Sep• 30•12

Thirteen thousand nautical miles. Sixteen thousand road miles. Two thousand five hundred patients. Seven hundred and thirty operations. Six months. This is the gruelling schedule of the doctors at medical charity, FlySpec.

Up until just a few months ago, I had never heard of FlySpec although I had, of course, heard about the mover and the shaker behind FlySpec, John Jellis OBE, well known Lusaka-based Orthopaedic Surgeon. If you have been here for any length of time then, I am sure, like me this will be the first name that comes to mind if someone breaks an arm or a leg and he will have treated either you or one of your family over the years.

FlySpec is a flying medical service which takes free orthopaedic and reconstructive surgery and more recently prosthetic and orthotic services by air, to disabled people in rural communities all over Zambia; places where such specialist surgery is not otherwise available.

Originally set up by John, his partner who is also a pilot is Goran Jovic, a Serbian reconstructive plastic surgeon. Between the two of them, and the odd visiting volunteer specialist, they traverse the length and breadth of this vast country, either by air or by road and when they get there they treat patients who would otherwise have gone untreated. Some of their patients have congenital deformities, but others have deformities as a result of accidents or bone infections. Over sixty percent of their patients are physically disabled children.

In addition to the operations and other treatment, they also work with the ZambianItalianOrthopaedicHospital workshop to provide prosthetic and orthotic services to disabled people, delivering seven or eight devices per month to both male and female patients, giving them mobility in the already tough rural environment in which they live.

And the statistics are impressive – 2573 consultations and 733 operations in the first six months of 2012, almost 3500 consultations and 936 operations in the first 8 months of 2011. And all for a cost of less than $150 per operation.

But now disaster has struck. During recent routine maintenance, metal particles were found in the oil filter of their Cessna 206 aircraft. Metal particles indicate serious trouble and the aircraft has been grounded. This does not mean that FlySpec is at a standstill, as the pilots of Flying Mission Zambia (FMZ) give their time for free. But FMZ cannot keep their aircraft on the ground for a few days whilst John and Goron carry out their consultations and operations. This means they are dropped at a remote hospital and then picked up again, doubling fuel and aircraft operating costs.

A factory overhauled engine for the FlySpec aircraft costs $44,000. Shipping and importation will cost about $10,000 while the 40-hours of work to refit the engine and the necessary overhaul of other components will cost a further $12,000. Making it $66,000 in all.

FlySpec does have an aircraft contingency reserve account and $25,000 has been paid from this account toward the new engine. The Beit Trust has also given FlySpec a grant of $ 30,000 and €15,000 has been received through Stichtung Muli Shani from supporters in the Netherlands meaning that they have sufficient to cover the cost of the new engine.

Now all that remains is to find the funds to cover the increased cost of flying to keep this worthwhile charity and its dedicated doctors in the air and in the operating theatre until the new engine arrives. Despite promises of a six week lead time we all know that it is likely that this will be longer. Then they have to get the engine here, have it cleared and then have it fitted and then have it all checked before they can take to the skies again.

For more information or if you are able to help in any way, please contact John Jellis on email loret.jej@iconnect.zm

Posted in 2012, 2012-09 , charity, FlySpec | No Comments »

Zombie Nights And Dark Delights

Written By: The Lowdown - Sep• 30•12

What’s that going bump in the night? Is it the Munsters? Is it the Mummy?

No! Although hopefully they will come along!

It’s the HALLOWEEN BALL!! And yes it’s back at the Hotel InterContinental on Saturday 27 October. Plus it’s going to be lots of fun.

The main point of it all is to put Christmas on the table for a number of Lusaka based Children’s Charities – Kasisi Orphanage, Tache Children’s Home, My Father’s House, Tico Community School, Old MacDonald’s Children’s Home and the UTH Children’s Burns Unit. In different ways, these organisations all try to bring a little bit of love and care into the lives of such kids, over seven hundred in all.

This year, the organisers are bringing out two extremely versatile and talented musician/vocalists who perform with the phenomenally successful ‘The Worx Band’ from South Africa. Their repertoire encompasses practically every style of popular music including Jazz, Pop, Dance and R & B, so there should be something for everyone. The guys have performed for the Walt Disney Group, major hotels around the world, the Nelson Mandela Children’s fund, British Airways and even Pope John Paul!

In addition they have also engaged the fantastic Impact Band, one of Zambian’s leading bands, who have been a major feature of past fundraisers. Anyone who has seen these lads in action will know that they are a significant attraction in their own right and not just “back-up artists”.

Tickets for the Gala night are K300,000, per person which includes a sumptuous dinner, corkage on wine, great give-away door and table prizes. There will also be an exciting tombola and an auction to maximise funds for the kids.

The last Halloween Ball was a complete sell-out, so be sure to get your tickets early. And remember to book your table at the same time:

Tickets are available from: –

Margaret Andrews, Tel 0966 754-292

Christine MacDonald, Tel 0977 874-718

Alison Pearson, Tel 0979 875-097

Posted in 2012, 2012-09 , charity | No Comments »

Art in Livingstone

Written By: The Lowdown - Sep• 30•12

As Livingstone gears up for the 2012 World Tourism Day, it is certainly not the only thing that is “happening”. Based in Livingstone town is the art studio of Suse Kasokota. Just thirty-two, this young Zambian artist has already exhibited with others at the well-known Henry Tayali Gallery in the Lusaka Showgrounds; Sun Hotel in Livingstone; at the Livingstone Museum; on tour as part of a Russian mobile exhibition that is currently in Moscow; and in 2010 he took his works to the Polokwane ‘World Cup Football’ cultural village.

Suse has been painting for almost a decade and has recently begun to hold solo exhibitions including one last month at the Alliance Francaise in Lusaka. His preferred medium is acrylic on canvas or hessian, but he experiments with very different medium to produce a surreal mix of subject and colour in painting and sculpture. Trademarking his work are the bright ‘cords’ that form varying foregrounds and backgrounds. Symbolic of promoting peaceful co-existence they have an unnerving complexity about them which is difficult to express in words.

So why not see them for yourself at Suse’s Ka-Arts Gallery, 17 Chimwemwe Way , Livingstone. INFO: 0978 246-509, Email kasokotasuse@yahoo.co.uk

‘Maturity’ by Suse Kasokota

Posted in 2012, 2012-09 , art, Livingstone | No Comments »

Eating Out

Written By: The Lowdown - Sep• 30•12

Bizzy Bistro

Lunch along the outside veranda of the Alliance Francaise is a perfect choice almost any time of the year. Mariam and Pamela started up their restaurant service over ten years ago to meet the challenge of the varying demands from a regular private and corporate clientele. This keeps both ladies on their feet from six to six and sometimes later. This home grown Zambian food and catering business has provided an excellent training ground for Le Bistro’s staff.Their exemplary service has earned them a five star reputation for simply ‘leisurely’ to ‘on-the-go buffet’ lunches.

It must have helped for the ladies to have had a background in the ‘fast moving’ ‘heady paced’ atmosphere of the air line industry. Pamela insists that they do their best work “under pressure”. The food is garden fresh,full of authentic colour and very tasty. The regular three course meal provides hot and cold options alongside a full bar service and a rich selection of salads. Work only stops on Sunday’s, public holidays and over the short Christmas/ New Year break. Any other time of the day light meals, notably their signature baguette, home made cake and percolated coffee are served. By arrangement an outside catering option has the facility for cutlery,waiter service, full cocktails, snacks and even wedding menu’s can be put together for up to five hundred people.

These two hard-working women met years before they set up business together. They both went to primary school in Ndola at Fatima Girls and then worked the aisles of our since R.I.P.’d flag-carrier. They were unceremoniously liquidated not only once but a second time by Aero Zambia and it was probably then that they decided that enough was enough as far as aviation was concerned and decided to head into business.

It was a bold decision having no previous business experience, no external finance, but with a sink or swim philosophy which continues to motivate them till today. Pamela is not a woman of many words, and her comment about the Zambia Airways closure in December 1994 was that the story is yet to be written. She was prepared to share a few business secrets though,three of them in fact: 1. PLAN 2. PLAN 3.PLAN.

Mariam’s daily tour often finds her wandering into the ongoing cultural events at the centre that add to the general atmosphere of Le Bistro even when it is not her staff serving the cocktails! On a good day, you could chance an art exhibition or even a music, film or speaking event going on as well as your hearty meal! A very good reason to cross town into the relative quiet of Longacres, the restaurant shares its premises with Ecole Francaise and is opposite the UN Building on Alick Nkata Road. Le Bistro is definitely a great venue for meeting old and making new friends.

Enquiries and Bookings: 0966 264-683 (Pamela) and 0977 760-467 (Mariam).

Posted in 2012, 2012-09 , Bizzy Bistro, Eating Out, Lusaka, Restaurant Review | No Comments »

Humping Along

Written By: The Lowdown - Sep• 30•12

Heading back to the office, I was diverted to pick up a member of staff from their meeting. Turning down a side road, travelling at about 40 kph, I was suddenly confronted by a good-size, unpainted, hidden in the shadows and thus virtually invisible speed hump just three or four metres in front of me. Stamping on the brakes slowed me down a bit, but not enough to stop my car getting a good hammering that did enough damage to some component that it now pulls to the left.

Speed humps seem to be the favourite law enforcement mechanism of both local and national road authorities. Not only are they mostly maintenance free but they can also not solicit bribes. In addition they are very effective for a population that largely disregards rules and regulations, and where issues of safety do not necessarily take priority. This is after all, one of the Governments main responsibilities – to ensure the safety of the population at large, which in this instance includes slowing down traffic to protect pedestrians, cyclists and other motorists.

But what is the road authorities liability as regards injury to persons and / or damage to property sustained as a result of their failure to adequately warn motorists of traffic calming measures (in this case speed humps) that require slowing down. And what is their responsibility to maintain these speed humps in a safe condition and to construct them according to accepted specifications.

I am not a lawyer, but logic tells me that as Tort law exists in Zambia, aggrieved motorists could well have a case against the road authorities where the road authorities have been negligent in failing to give prior warning of speed humps.

Tort law deals with situations where a person’s behaviour has unfairly caused someone else to suffer loss or harm. A claim in tort may be brought by anyone who has suffered loss. A person who suffers a tortious injury is entitled to receive compensation for “damages”, usually monetary, from the person or people responsible or liable for those injuries. In much of the common law world, the most prominent tort liability is negligence. If the injured party can prove that the person believed to have caused the injury acted negligently, in other words without taking reasonable care to avoid injuring others, tort law will allow compensation.

But rushing to court is not the solution; a much better solution is for the road authorities to ensure that warning signs are erected where there are speed humps and paint the speed humps with reflective paint so that they are clearly visible during the day and at night. I wonder when this will happen?

And there is a twist in this tale. Knowing that this story was to be published, my family and I were in town when we came across a well painted speed hump and stopped to photograph it. Whilst doing so, a pedestrian walking alongside the road began acting in a strange manner and was seen recording what we suspect was our vehicle registration number. We can only think that the sight of a camera flicked a switch in his brain and he decided we were up to no-good. I wonder if he has indeed reported us to someone for photographing a speedhump!

Posted in 2012, 2012-09 , Speedhumps | No Comments »

Scam Warnings

Written By: The Lowdown - Sep• 30•12

From time to time we carry warnings to our readers of the latest scams around town. This month we have four which have been reported by our readers in the last few weeks.

The first is an old one at the fuel station where the attendant, whilst making small talk with you, puts in about K40,000 worth of fuel. He then draws your attention to the fact that the pump has stopped and that he needs to start it again. But what he doesn’t do is zero the pump again. He continues filling and once your tank is full, he tries to add the K 40,000 onto the amount of money to be paid. Keep an eye out on these fuel attendants as this is a common scam.

The second scam occurs when you have driven into a parking area at one of the many shopping centres. The report we received happened at Crossroads. As you get out of your car you are approached by someone claiming that you have drove over their foot whilst you were making your way through the cars to a parking space. This is reinforced by a friend who joins the original scammer claiming he saw it happen. We suggest that should this happen to you, you tell the scammer that you are reporting this to the police and that you will meet them at the police station. Under no circumstances should you take them in your vehicle, but you should make a report to the police and once done, keep a record of the OB (Occurrence Book) reference where your report is entered. You should also not give the scammers the ‘compensation’ they are claiming.

The third scam is a turbaned gentleman of Asian origin who has been around Lusaka for years. He comes to your office claiming that he can see the future. After some talking he then asks you for money. He is very polite and plays on your good manners and politeness, which results in you parting with your hard earned money. Don’t! Chase him out, as I did recently, before he gets past the first sentence of his oft repeated speech.

The fourth one is a completely new one to me, although it may be old hat to some of our readers; the employee who claims that he suffered an injury at work when in fact it happened the day before whilst he was watching a football match. In this case it was a nasty ‘L’ shaped gash a few inches long which he claimed was done by a piece of barbed wire whilst he was slashing grass. The lack of blood and the dried edges around the wound alerted his employers to the fact that this was probably a scam. A good inspection of the scene of the supposed incident and the said piece of barbed wire where there was not even a drop of blood as well as the testimony of his work mates that he was limping when he arrived at work further enforced the belief that this was a scam

Having dropped said worker at the clinic to have the gash cleaned up and treated, his employer made a trip to the police station and took two officers to also inspect the scene. They confirmed that there was no blood or evidence of any mishap involving the falsely accused piece of barbed wire. An interview with the employee’s wife confirmed that the injury had been sustained the previous day closed the case.

Clearly this employee thought he was going to get more money in his pocket by whatever means!

Posted in 2012, 2012-09 , scam | No Comments »

Kachere Goes Green at the Olympics

Written By: The Lowdown - Sep• 30•12

The London 2012 Summer Games are done, gone and according to commentators, these were the greenest Olympics ever – they had a direct connection between sport and sustainability; energy, water and the environment. The entire Olympic Park was extolled for regenerating a derelict area which is now benefiting both wildlife and people. Congratulations to the UK on the Olympics!

Kachere Art Studio’s Alexis Phiri was among a group of 16 Coca Cola distributors from across Zambia that met their 300mls Returnable Glass Bottles sales targets. Their incentive was an all inclusive package to watch the London Olympics. Thank you Coca Cola!

But we would like to see you do more. As corporate social responsibility takes hold across the globe, big companies doing business in Zambia should take a leaf from the London Olympics; starting from cleaning up their own act to taking proactive steps to help, not only themselves, but also communities to Go Green, rather than just making money – we can do more.

Kachere, at the London Olympics, learnt what businesses can do to improve our world by investing in local communities, improving labour practices, greening our children, and generally giving back unlike the current trend in Zambia. Look around you at how dirty and polluted our cities are becoming. The London Olympics were a success largely because of people giving their time, volunteers. Where are our Zambian volunteers who are prepared to give freely of their time for the good of the community?

Kachere would like to see more people playing a part, no matter how small it may be, towards a green Zambia that will benefit and inspire future generations. Let us ask ourselves what are we doing to inspire our children? What are our leaders doing to inspire their children? What are the captains of industry doing to inspire today’s children?

And now onto our next project – highlighting the poaching of Africa’s Rhinos! Keep an eye on the car park at Longacres!

Tiyeni Tibiliwire!!

Posted in 2012, 2012-09 , Kachere | No Comments »

Notes

Written By: The Lowdown - Sep• 30•12

Posted in 2012, 2012-09 , levies, visas | No Comments »

Mchenja Bush Camp

Written By: The Lowdown - Feb• 01•01

It is always a pleasure to go to Luangwa Valley, no matter the time of the year. And so, even though it was still a little cool in the mornings and evenings when most of the game-drives and walks take place, we used the long Agricultural Show weekend to get away to the Valley.

We had not been to Mchenja for many years because it had been in decline. But now the camp, one of the older lodge-sites beautifully located in a shady ebony grove on the banks of the Luangwa, has been revived and rebuilt by Tadg Wixted’s ‘Savannah Trails’ (who also owns the eight km distant Kakuli Camp).

Mchenja lies in the northern part of South Luangwa National Park (SLNP), opposite the Nsefu sector, in an area that – unlike Mfuwe – is not overly developed by other lodges and/or overrun by game viewing vehicles.

We were met at Mfuwe Airport by Mike Bailey, the camp’s part-owner/manager/guide, who took us back to his place, a distance of 30 km, game viewing on the way. Fellow guests were a young African-American couple, first-comers to the Valley, whose obvious delight at the game en route was a joy to see. The four of us were the only guests (apparently Mchenja’s fame has not spread very widely yet) which meant we had management’s undivided attention.

We were allocated one of the six A-frame chalets (the camp can accommodate ten people) that are built in a semi-circle, three to the right and three to the left of the central chitenje (bar/dining) area. They have an elevated veranda in front which overlooks a mespiliformis-ebony, (also called Jackalberry tree) grove at the back.

The chalets are cosy (one could term them ‘rather small’), built close together, and made of wooden walls and a thatched ceiling. They contain two single beds, two nightstands, two luggage racks, a rug and a mosquito net. When the ‘walk-in’ net is spread in the evenings it fills the whole room, leaving little space to move about. There is nowhere to hang clothes or place larger items – one has to literally “live out of the suitcase” – but, or so we were assured, cupboards and shelves will soon be installed on the veranda. The en-suite bathroom is more comfortably-sized, with a basin, toilet and shower cubicle. Hot water comes from ‘Rhodesian boilers’; light is provided by solar energy – no noisy generators here!

Looking out of the bathroom window, I could see bushbuck and baboons in the grove’s undergrowth; and, sitting on the ‘balcony’ in front, watch birds and hippo in the river. At night we heard the resident leopard coughing nearby, hyenas being hysterical, elephants shuffling through dead leaves, and Scops owls doing their prrrt prrrt thing.

The central chitenje is oval-shaped and open to the river, containing a dining area (though our dining always took place under the stars outside), a bar, and a small library with comfortable wicker chairs. More chairs are placed on the riverfront for up-close viewing of waders and crocs – or a comfy snooze in the shade. And this is the attraction of Mchenja – the peace and quiet, beautiful views, plentiful game, cool shade, and all in a lovely setting.

What makes the camp remarkable is its cuisine. Louise, the caterer, and Lawrence, the cook, produced some wonderful meals for brunch and dinner – the spinach soup, chicken and leek pie, aubergine moussaka, and curry and peanut chicken were truly memorable.

What makes the camp outstanding is Mike’s guiding. Having an MSc in Environmental Biology plus many years’ experience in the Valley, he is one of the best guides in South Luangwa National Park – at least to my mind. We went on morning walks and afternoon drives, and appreciated being shown not only big game but also the little things in the bush: the content of antbear scat, the spoor of a lizard tail, the barbed hooks of ‘buffalo beans’, the rubbing post of a warthog, while listening to the chattering of an alarmed squirrel or the ringing call of a fish-eagle.

Not that we didn’t appreciate the big things: the thirteen skinny lions in a mangy condition that took two days to polish off a dead hippo; the huge leopard crouched motionless, waiting to pounce on an impala (he didn’t succeed); the flocks of yellow billed storks fishing out of a drying pond; the enormous herds of buffalo coming to the river to drink, not to mention the ubiquitous ‘UN birds’ – those guys in blue helmets that run around in circles and don’t know what to do (thanks for that one, Ian) – the guinea-fowls.

Rates: US$ 160 pp/night double, US$ 180 single (domestic rate); US$ 285 double, US$ 375 single (international rate) all – inclusive.

by Ilse Mwanza

Posted in 2001, 2001-02 , Luangwa, Mchenja, Mfuwe, South Luangwa | No Comments »

On The Hunt …..

Written By: The Lowdown - Feb• 01•01

Hunting of wild animals, either by ‘overseas clients’ with a professional hunter or by local people who hunt for enjoyment has always been a subject about which I could not quite make up my mind. Your sympathy immediately lies with the animal that is shot and killed outright, or even worse, the one that is wounded and has to be tracked down as it careers through the bush in pain. But there is more to hunting than that.

On the conservation side, and assuming that the hunter is ethical, only old males are hunted or perhaps those animals that are past their prime and have been evicted from the herd. This leaves the females and the younger more virile animals to ensure the continuity of the species. Where certain species have grown to the extent that there is pressure on the environment, hunting or culling, helps to ensure the continued well being of the species.

The benefits of having ‘overseas clients’ extends not only to the foreign exchange that comes into Zambia, but also to the employment of trackers, skinners, cooks and others who assist with the hunting of the animal or run the safari camps. Add to that the camp builders who not only build the camps, but also assist with maintaining the roads and bridges leading to the hunting area, roads which are also vital for the people living in that area.

It also seems that the professional hunters and those who hunt for enjoyment may well be one of the last lines of defence in the prevention of poaching. Their presence in some of Zambia’s remotest areas, where they are accompanied by game scouts, ensure a measure of law enforcement, but with the recently imposed one-year ban on hunting, there will be little or no law enforcement.

Up until two years ago, the management of our wildlife resource was vested in the National Parks and Wildlife Services, a Government Department, with the same problems that other Government Departments have – insufficient funding, insufficient qualified staff, poor salaries…

In an attempt to find a solution to these problems, Government took the bold and pragmatic step and set up the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA), whose remit was to manage our wildlife resources on a sustainable basis. ZAWA, should have been another example of a public and private sector partnership, working for the good of the country. Funding for the expenses of ZAWA would be from charges levied on fishing, hunting and tourist licences and also, initially, from donors. Once ZAWA was able to stand on its own, any extra funds generated were to be ploughed back into those resources generating the income.

But it seems that the vision of the stakeholders who worked so hard to get ZAWA accepted as the way to go, has been forgotten. Instead we hear stories of hunting areas being allocated to people who didn’t even submit a tender for a hunting area; special licences being issued for the hunting of certain animals although there is a strict quota for each area and each species; areas being allocated to foreign hunting companies who pay no tax in Zambia, whose hunters work in Zambia on a tourist visa and who have no investment in this country. It is not surprising that State House has seen fit to ban hunting for the next twelve months – they will probably need every day of that year to unravel the mess. It seems that there has been abuse of hunting licences, indiscriminate decimation of wildlife and that many of the companies who have been hunting are unable to produce audited accounts of their financial affairs.

The question is whether our wild animals can survive the next year without the vital protection that the professional hunter and game scouts provide. We have also to consider the effect this ban will have on the clients who come here to hunt – most hunters come back year after year, each time to hunt a different animal, but usually with the same professional hunter. If they can’t hunt here this year, will they even bother considering Zambia in the future? Remember also the rural populations who rely on hunting for their livelihood. It is therefore imperative that this ban is lifted immediately, if not totally, then at least partially.

We would suggest that the solution to this problem would be for a limited number of concessions to be allocated to professional hunters resident in Zambia; who have a clean record; who are known to conduct their hunting in an ethical manner; who can supply proof of tax compliance; and who hold a licence issued by the Professional Hunters Association of Zambia. A stop needs to be put to the issuance of special licences and any hunter who has previously obtained such a special licence should automatically be removed from the list of candidates.

We are confident that if serious consultations are held with the professional hunters, a solution can be found that will ensure the continued well being of the Zambian hunting industry.

Posted in 2001, 2001-02 , hunting | No Comments »

Restaurant Review

Written By: The Lowdown - Feb• 01•01

At the risk of being done in by some of Lusaka’s residents, I have to let you in on one of the best-kept secrets in a long time – El Toro Restaurant in Sable Road, Kabulonga, in the same premises as Cascades.

Owned and run by Ian and Rosita Nugara, El Toro was originally a Coffee Shop, open only during the day, but is now open in the evenings, from Monday to Saturday as well. There is no fancy décor or dimmed lighting, just a single room with nine tables, seating four each, and a simple, but adequately stocked bar.

The food is mostly Spanish, but they also have a good selection of fresh seafood as well as fast foods and the most delicious ice cream. The choice for us was very easy – paella for two and a bottle of wine, and chicken and chips for the kids.

Whilst we were chatting to Ian at the bar, the waitress started bringing plates of snacks to our table – tapas – tender calamari rings in batter; chicken drumsticks; bite-size sandwiches with olives; cheese and tomato; home-made salted crisps and slices of pastry filled with meat.

Having sampled the tapas, all of which were delicious, our main meal arrived, and we wondered where we were going to fit it in, but it looked so delicious we knew we would find space somewhere, so tucked in and were not disappointed. It took us some time to plough through the more-than-adequate paella, and the kids struggled with the chicken.

No room for dessert, plus it was a Monday evening and school next day, so we headed off home, after settling the very reasonable bill of K 107,000.

During Valentine’s week, El Toro will be serving complimentary tapas, so all of you, young or old, have an evening out at this gem of a restaurant, but don’t forget to book a table, or you might be disappointed. T

Posted in 2001, 2001-02 , Lusaka, Restaurant Review | No Comments »

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