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Putting
this month’s Lowdown together has been a difficult task. Mainly
because we have too many stories. So, sadly, for this month only,
one of our usual columns has not been included - Melvin Durai’s
humour column. It will, however, be back next month. I would also
like to congratulate Melvin and his wife on the new addition to
their family, a daughter. Undoubtedly we shall hear of the trials
and tribulations of this in future columns.
End March/early April is the time of the year when the Kuomboka, the
annual ceremony of the Lozi people, takes place. As such, we have
included three articles covering the Western Province. I thought
that these would be far more interesting than relating my
experiences when I attended the Kuomboka last year.
We also
have some interesting follow up on Ilse Mwanza’s letter on Park
Entry fees which appeared in the February Lowdown (see Readers Have
Their Say). Recently when I was in Sinazongwe, I learnt that
villagers on the lake shore have been issued with a licence to shoot
fourteen hippos as they have been eating the villagers crops and, in
fact, whilst I was there, heard a number of gun shots although I
cannot confirm that they were shooting hippos then. I fully
sympathise with the villagers, but perhaps a better way can be found
- work with the villagers and have them plant their crops a short
distance away from the lake shore which will leave the area
immediately around the lake full of lush, green grass for the
hippos. It will also help to prevent a lot of the soil erosion which
is evident in that (and many other areas). ZAWA - you are supposed
to be preserving our wildlife, not assisting in the decimation of
it.
On the
subject of soil erosion, there is a very good hedge (literally)
against it - vetiver grass - and a small amount has recently been
planted in the Sinazongwe area, on the initiative of one of the
tourism enterprises there. Vetiver is now available from one of the
nurseries in Lusaka (see under the small ads section and a short
article in our Gardening Galore section if you have an erosion
problem) and we will keep you updated on the progress of that which
has been planted at Sinazongwe.
I have, in
the past month, received reports of an increase in the number of
vehicle hijackings in Lusaka (during the day), often at the main
shopping centres. Readers are advised to be alert to their
surroundings at all times.
SAA have
recently introduced an online booking facility (www.flysaa.com)
which is now available for travellers in Lusaka. Sadly though, one
can only use it if one has a South African credit card (assuming
that one even has a credit card, which many people in Zambia do not
have)
On a
lighter note - yesterday whilst driving to work, I saw a vehicle
proudly displaying signage that it belonged to the Women’s Lobby
Group, with five men inside it!
Now I
would like to leave you with a thought that has been disturbing me
of late - it seems that our only national target for this year is to
have Zambia classified as a Highly Indebted Poor Country! How sad
that this is the only vision we have for the future. |
March 2004