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From The
Editor
As I put this
issue of The Lowdown together, we are almost two months into the
year and for once, I have managed to stick with one of the
resolutions that I made at the beginning of January. This was to
make a note of all the little things, both negative and positive,
that happen to me on a day to day basis. But not only that, the
other part of the resolution was to write about them, when space
allows.
Of course,
many of the things which happen justify a full article which must be
researched and followed up, but many of my experiences only need a
mention.
But before I
get down to this, there is an apology which needs to be made. In the
January issue, we published a small advert which had been sent to us
from a reader in Luanshya. We wish to apologise to Milomax Motors
for the publication of this advert.
Now to the
gripes and moans … the Kafue Road, being at the top of the list.
Those who travel along this road from south-end traffic circle will
know what I am talking about. Work has been going on (or not going
on) since around June last year on the section between the traffic
circle and the turnoff down the main
Makeni Road.
All well and good when the work was going on as it was proceeding
fairly quickly and although there was some traffic congestion, it
was not unbearable. However, sometime during the last months of
2004, worked stopped completely for a few weeks, we understand
because the contractors had not been paid. Then work started again.
But, it has once again stopped. Unfortunately I did not make a note
of exactly when it stopped, but it must be all of two months now.
Certainly no work has been done since the beginning of the year. I
assume that once again it is a payment issue. Surely, after all
these years, the financial planners at the relevant ministries or
council must have learnt that when a road contract is let, it will
have to be paid for and if payments are not made on time, it is
highly likely that the contractor will stop work. I hate to imagine
the costs that are being incurred to the country as a result of the
man-hours being lost whilst motorists are sitting in traffic jams;
the cost of fuel which is being wasted whilst sit there idling and
stopping and starting. And add to that the cost of the road rage
which will ultimately add to the country’s health bill. I suppose it
is too much to ask (or expect) that the public servants, elected or
otherwise, sitting in their offices up on the hill really care about
what happens to Lusaka motorists day in and day out and that one of
them will jump around and do something about this mess.
Whilst still
on the issue of this road. It appears that cats eyes are now extinct
(or almost) in
Zambia.
The Kafue road has always been a pleasure to drive on at night
because when it was rebuilt in 1992/93, cats eyes were included.
This made it that much safer. But with the work that has been done
over the last nine months, these have been covered. At least (or
should I say ‘at last’), the contractors are painting the necessary
lines on the road.
Moving on from
the surface of the
Kafue
road, but still on the road, it appears that there are different
rules for different people. On 20 January, Zacaria Phiri was on the
road with his Recently Acquired Device for Annoying Roadusers. I was
overtaken by a vehicle, registration number AB 540, which was
definitely exceeding the speed limit. Zacaria jumped out into the
road to stop this vehicle, but when he saw the registration number,
he allowed it to proceed. I have seen this happen previously, on at
least two occasions with diplomatic vehicles as well. Surely
government and diplomatic vehicles can cause accidents just as
easily as us normal mortals. Or does this just confirm that the
speed traps are not there to ensure safety but rather to ensure a
full pocket for the officer concerned? There is of course another
issue - I have been given to understand that it is a very serious
offence (within the international agreements which govern
diplomatic arrangements) for a driver of a diplomatic vehicle to be
found committing a traffic offence.
On 22 January
at about
10.43 pm,
I was traveling home and stopped at the traffic lights at the
junction of
Independence
Avenue and Burma Road. In the left hand land next to me was a
vehicle and behind me was vehicle, ZAF 3438B pulled up behind me.
When the lights turned green for us to proceed, ZAF 3438B pulled out
from behind me and overtook me on the right hand side, blowing his
hooter. This was no problem except that in doing so, he crossed over
into the lane of oncoming traffic, and there was some oncoming
traffic. Thanks to the alertness of these drivers and the low volume
of traffic at that time of night, an accident was averted. But was
this impatience absolutely necessary?
On 3 January,
I had another interesting incident happen. I was travelling to
Livingstone with a Irish TV crew (more about that in a future
issue). When we arrived at the Foot and Mouth check just north of
Kalomo, we found an immigration officer. When I got out of the
vehicle, he approached me and asked me for my passport. Firstly, I
questioned why he wanted to see my passport as I was not travelling
out of the country. He then asked me for my ‘Zimbabwean identity
document’. My response, of course, was why did he automatically
assume that I was a Zimbabwean? This was cleared up with the
production of a document proving that I was a Zambian citizen, but
whilst all this was happening, another vehicle, registration number
MMD 952 GP, pulled up. The driver got out and did all the washing
his hands etc and then got back into the car. This immigration
official then approached him for his documentation. I (and one of
the people traveling with me) then saw a document being produced and
then I saw an extra piece of paper being handed to the immigration
official which was quietly placed in his pocket. I wonder what this
was all about?
Another
question which keeps me wondering is the requirement for people
answering telephones to ask ‘where are you calling from?’ I recently
phoned Spectra Oils to find out the price of a drum of oil. I asked
to be put through to the Sales Department and got the standard
question. And Spectra Oils are not the only company where this
happens. I am beginning to wonder if this is not something that you
say when you don’t know what else to say, a bit like
supercalafragilisticexpialidocious !
On more or
less the same subject - last week I had a late meeting and decided
that rather than cooking, we would grab some chicken and salad from
On The Run in Church Road. When I got to the counter, and when the
sales lady finally decided to stop talking to her colleagues in the
kitchen and deal with me, I asked what size their containers of
coleslaw were. This was a very simple question to enable me to
decide how many I needed to order. Her reply was ‘it is enough’.
Interesting that she could read my mind. Is this perhaps a new
training technique that these franchises have developed?
Which brings
me to the issue of chicken. Recently when travelling though Monze, I
stopped in at Tooters (on the right when travelling towards
Livingstone) to grab something to eat. What a pleasant surprise -
clean premises, very friendly staff, quick service, cold drinks and
delicious chicken. Subsequent to that, one of my ‘overland’ friends
told me that they think it is the best chicken in Africa. So, next
time you are traveling in that direction and feeling a little
peckish, this is the place to stop. The only drawback is that they
don’t have toilets. However, you can use the toilets at Golden
Pillow Lodge which is right next door and which is also spotlessly
clean. Well done to Tooters.
And that
exhausts the space that I have today for whinging and whining. |
March 2005