Zambia World Wide

C) Marking out sites for microwave and VHF towers.

C1) The section between Palapye to Francistown and from Francistown to Maun

In the early 1970’s the United Nations sent out a team to select sites for microwave and V.H.F. towers. The main reason for this exercise was to break all links with Rhodesia and use Zambia as a standby route for its communication with South Africa as its main route. To accomplish this exercise we had to make up two teams using a 3/4ton and a 1ton Bedford truck. With their first visit I joined them at Palapye. The sections from Palapye to Francistown and Francistown to Maun were completed with their first visit. Before returning to the U.K. for a short break they informed Mervin Spence the Engineer that they refused to continue their second visit unless they were supplied with tents. (Mervin Spence and Maddoc Nel who was in charge of the Nkana Mine Telephone Exchange during the sixties) installed most of the microwave links in Northern Rhodesia in the nineteen forties.) The fact that I had a rifle with me meant nothing to them as at night I would lie snoring and they could not sleep with lions and other wildlife coming close to our camp. I was supplied with two tents. One for the two U.N.officials and myself and the second was for my labourers.

C2) The section between Kasane to Nata

With their second visit we had to cover the sections from Kasane to Nata and Kasane to Maun. If the PWD could supply us in time with a map indicating the new proposed road from Rakops to Orapa we would do that section as well. With the section between Kasane and Nata we had to find sites close to the new proposed road. We had no tracks to follow and the only guide we had was the odd clearing made during the surveying of the new 359km road. To complete this section took just over 7days as we were regularly stuck in the sand and had our fair share of punctures. Whenever we were held up between readings we had to start from where the last reading was taken which was approximately 5 km back. We were however prepared for this as the Government had issued me with a pot license which we could use provided we had been away for more than 24hrs from the nearest butcher. The amount of game you were allowed to shoot could last us for at least a month.

C2.1) The close encounter with lions

Close to Nata in the early hours of the morning I found myself in the centre of a pride of lions. Later that morning looking at my tracks & that of the lions did it really sink in how lucky I was to come out alive. A more detailed version will be given in another article I wish to write soon.

C3) Our visit to Victoria Falls

Arriving back in Francistown the U.N. officials informed Mervin that after my experience with the lions near Nata they were going to make use of approved accommodation regardless of how far we had to travel backwards and forwards. One of the officials returned to the U.K with the results and would meet us in Maun once we had completed the section between Kasane and Maun. Mervin suggested that when we returned to Kasane we must go via Buluwayo and Victoria Falls. The Rhodesian immigration during this period stamped a blank sheet of paper as prove of entry. Countries that did not support Rhodesia then were not aware that their citizens were in Rhodesia.

If it was not for the Victoria Falls I doubt if my companion would have accepted the invitation as his impression of Rhodesia was based on propaganda. He could not believe what he saw. His expected to see blacks treated as slaves and the country in total collapse. We stayed in the Victoria Falls Hotel and he could not believe how happy and well trained their black staff were. After speaking to several blacks he said he wished more people oversees would visit Rhodesia before accepting the propaganda they were receiving. When we met up again with his partner in Maun he could not wait to tell him what he had experienced with his visit to Rhodesia.