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 Letter from
Livingstone
By Gill Staden
The Lowdown has
been giving Livingstone a bad name of late. Possibly we deserve
some of the criticisms. However, we like many provincial towns of
Zambia, are struggling to keep our heads above the financial water
line.
For many years we
have been awaiting an input by the Government through World Bank
SEED funding (SEED – Support for Economic Expansion and
Diversification). Livingstone has been identified as an area which,
given appropriate assistance, can grow economically and provide
jobs. The town of Livingstone is to have new roads, with street
lighting and pavements; the Council is being assisted to offer
better services; a new Park Manager is in place to help with the
running of our small Game Park. Although it has been a long time
coming, we are now being helped through this project and over the
next five years, Livingstone could become a much-improved tourist
destination.
There have been
lots of Lowdown complaints about the Centenary Celebrations.
Preparations for a celebration of this magnitude should have started
at least 2 years ago, but they did not. In a last minute attempt to
rescue the situation, a committee was put in place late last year to
try to salvage something. They have tried as best as they can and
several events have taken place but have been small in size due to
lack of funds. There are hopes that a cultural event will take place
in August or September, but this is subject to a cash input.
But, of course,
Pete Jones from the River Club is organising the Boat Regatta.
9-10th September. Last year’s event was an amazing
spectacle and this year’s is going to be even better. Oxford and
Cambridge, Rhodes and Rand University Crews will be here again.
Last year we watched as the eights raced along the
Zambezi in front of the Zambesi Boat Club and the Zambezi
Waterfront. The hippos had taken centre stage in the river causing
a bit of a problem, but the crews, undaunted, did their best to
concentrate on their rowing and outdo the fear of hippos emerging
from the water. Said one of the
Cambridge crew –
it’s awesome.
November is the
150th Anniversary of David Livingstone’s first sighting
of the Mosi-oa-Tunya Falls, which he renamed the Victoria Falls.
Simon from the Islands of Siankaba, a well-known lodge in
Livingstone, are re-enacting David Livingstone’s journey from Mwandi
(then Sesheke), by canoe and foot to Livingstone Island, on the lip
of the Victoria Falls. The journey is going to be undertaken
according to the diaries of David Livingstone – same time-frame,
same camping sites. From Mwandi they hope to reach Impalila Island,
now Namibia, where they hope to camp for the night. This, however,
is dependent on Namibian formalities. From there they will proceed
to Chundukwa Tree Lodge, opposite Chundu Island. Then another day’s
journey will take them to Kalai Island near Livingstone and finally,
to Livingstone Island the following day where a plaque will be
erected in Livingstone’s memory.
If anyone wants
to find out the latest in Livingstone, there are copies of The
Livingstonian in Kubu Crafts, Manda Hill. Kubu Crafts,
Livingstone’s best export to Lusaka, has some of the best teak and
rosewood furniture you can buy in Zambia.
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July 2005