Zambia World Wide

My employment with the Federal Government

On the 17^th March 1957 I started working for the Federal Government. I was allocated temporary accommodation at Fedro flats on the corner of Lumumba Road and Freedom Road. Our flat was the closest to the sanitary lane. Our next-door neighbours were Ian and Nancy Kennedy. Ian was in charge of the installation of our first Radio Broadcasting Station in Kitwe. He was also part of Botswana’s history when he was seconded by United Nations for the installation of their first T.V. and Broadcasting Station in Gaberones during 1967.

We found ourselves a houseboy but one week later Sammy’s labourer Morgan informed me that he has come to start working for me as a houseboy. He was not prepared to accept the fact that we already had taken someone else in service. The next morning there was only Morgan. What took place behind the scenes remains a mystery. Pauline had to spend some time with Morgan, as he had no clue of housekeeping. Morgan remained with us until I left for Botswana in 1967. Seeing a polish brush always reminds me of Morgan when he would put one on each foot and then go skating across the highly polished cement floors.

We later moved into a newly completed government house at 30 Yorkminster (Unity) Way Parklands It was here that Pauline fell pregnant with our daughter Christine.

In the beginning I was employed to do fitting and faults in and around Kitwe. I did the cabling and telephone installations for both the Kingstons and the O.K. Bazaars buildings. They were then the biggest building projects under construction. With both these projects there were many different nationalities. Fortunately we could communicate by using Chikabanga, which is a mixture of different Bantu dialects, English, Afrikaans and Portuguese. The contractors for the O.K. Bazaars brought a squad of Zulus with them. Most of them stayed in Buchi Compound and it was not long before some of them got beaten up for interfering with married woman. The Zulus took revenge and created such havoc that they were all deported except for the Foreman.

Towards the end of my employment here I was asked if I would take over the construction staff. The reason being that they could find no one to replace Arnold Lodge who had been transferred to Salisbury to further his studies. It was during this stint that I earned the nickname of Kalulu (Rabbit) as I was up and down the length of the construction taking place.

It was with the building of an open wire route to Itimpi that Sammy informed me that the Rhodesia Congo Border Power Corp. would like to interview me for a vacant post in their Light Current section. After my interview with Sid Moore he informed that the post is mine if the Federal Gov. was prepared to release me before the 1^st April. At the time there was a gentleman’s agreement between the Mines and the Gov. They would only employ someone if the present employer agreed to release the applicant. Stan Stollard at first refused to release me but fortunately he later agreed to accept my resignation for the 30th March 1959. On applying for a post in Botswana I must say he gave me an outstanding testimonial.

An incident I will never forget while employed with the Fed. Gov. was the day

I was introduced to the Matabele Ant. Can you imagine being requested to assist the cable jointer

and before you even start you are told that you are an idiot in no uncertain terms. I soon realized what had upset Bob Dunbar as the overwhelming stench of the Matabele Ants filled the air. I had trampled on as many as possible on entering the dugout thinking I was doing good. Believe me Bob was no midget.