Zambia World Wide

EPISODE FOUR FROM 1959 TO 1967

My employment with Rhodesia Congo Border Power Corporation.

I started working for R.C.B. P.C. on the 1^st May 1959 as a Light Current Electrician. Around the beginning of 1966 their name changed to Copperbelt Power Company. They were a non-profiting company in which all the mines on the Copperbelt had shares. A few days before the end of the financial year the Control Room was a hive of activity. The statistician Arthur Scholem was in and out of the Control Room getting them to either arrange load shedding or to increase the load. This was done to balance their books.

Why the name change

Initially the Mines were required to supply their own power. To overcome this hurdle it was decided to obtain power from the Congo. Hence the name “Rhodesia Congo Border Power Corp.” A team of Italians built the 220,000Volt line, which they completed around 1957. This was well before the scheduled date. It spelt disaster for some contractors who were supplying the mines with wood for their furnaces. Before their contract ended wood could be seen all along the road stacked in lots of a cord (3.6 cubic metres).

Around the beginning of 1966 the name changed to Copperbelt Power Company when the 330,000Volt line from Kariba was commissioned.

With the problems in the Congo their supply of power came to an end and we were then able to supply them with power.

Our first accommodation supplied by the R.C.B.P.C

At first there was no accommodation available and we were given a room in the Single Quarters. It was actually convenient as our meals at the Mine Mess were paid for by R.C.B.P.C. Ernie Rodgers ran the Mine Mess an excellent chef with the most powerful voice. We were close to the Rhokana cinema, club, rugby fields and swimming pool.

The Kafue Fairies

When thinking of Rhokana swimming pool the Kafue Fairies come to mind. They would jump from the top diving platform after being soaked in petrol and set alight. One of their events nearly ended in disaster when the petrol drum caught alight as they were jumping from the diving platform. Aussie Osborne who was still on the diving platform kicked the drum into the water setting the area around it alight. The Kafue Fairies that surfaced in the flames miraculously escaped virtually unscathed. I can’t remember the full squad but the names of Steve Arneil and Dirk Swanepoel come to mind.

During this gala one of the participants would swim the length of the pool twice under water. Attached to him was a string of assorted coloured torch globes covering the whole of his rear body. As he entered the water all the swimming pool lights were switched off. With the length of the pool and the extra weight of the illuminated globes and batteries he was carrying took some doing. With the last event I attended he was still recovering from flu which resulted in him collapsing as he was getting out of the pool after his performance. At first the organizers thought nothing of it as he went to the bottom of the deep end of the pool. Fortunately they soon saw that this was no part of his act and their immediate reaction saved him from drowning.

The swimming pool and surrounds were always kept clean with Pop Patrick in charge. Nobody would go to the top diving platform unless he/she intended diving or jumping from it as Pop Patrick would not allow you to come down by any other means.

160, Princess Street Nkana

In less than a month the R.C.B.P.C. managed to hire the above accommodation for me from the mines. Christine and Stephen were both born here on the 10^th Oct 1959 and 18^th Nov.1961 respectfully. We stayed here until the end of Jan 1962.

The Putsi fly

It was during our stay at 160, Princess Street that I actually experienced a live Putsi fly maggot maturing under the skin. The mines on my request delivered a load of topsoil for the lawn. As I was spreading the soil over the lawn Christine was playing on the sand heap or riding in the wheelbarrow. Sometime later I discovered that there were these pimples on- the inside of my elbow. As I pressed the first one, out popped this Putsi fly maggot. A couple of days later they were also discovered in Christine’s scalp. Pressing out maggots from someone is something one does not want to do often. We were all warned to iron all our clothing because of the Putsi fly but I certainly did not expect to come in contact with them in the sand.

11, Washington Avenue, Nkana

In February 1962 we moved into one of the R.C.B.P.C. houses in 11, Washington Ave., Nkana. We stayed here until I resigned in March 1967.

With its huge trees I could build a large tree house for my children where they spent a lot of time with their friends. From the swings you could see almost over the roof of the house. I replaced the existing paddling pool with one that I too could cool off in. We had a beautiful garden with a hot house behind the garage. Fortunately we all had garden boys, as we never made use of petrol or electric lawnmowers.

Brewing our own beer and drinking Mghau.

With our parties everyone brought his own drinks. We would fill the bath with ice that we bought from the Coca Cola factory in big blocks. As the guests arrived they would place their beers and beverages in the bath. Eidon Davies an engineer with R.C.B.P.C. and myself brewed our own beer. Rolly Revelland the sheet metal worker used a cable gland to make us a press to fit the metal bottle tops on the beer bottles. John LePage who worked at the laboratory in Katanta Street bent the glass tubes for us. His wife Janet was also an active rowing member. With our first attempts I was often woken up during the night as the bottles burst. We eventually made a potent beer. With all the beer in the bath everyone knew our beer, as it had no labels on it. As the night progressed the labels on the beer bottles were easily removed and we would then place them on our bottles. This got the party going. We got our hops from an Indian in Buluwayo. After Independence in 1964 we had to smuggle the money out of the country. This we did by cleverly concealing Tickeys in the mail we sent him.

I was diagnosed with a moderate duodenal ulcer and was given bottles of medicine. Someone suggested I try Mghau a non-fermented African beer. I was given permission to drink it during working hours. The minimum I could purchase from the brewery was a gallon. (4.5 litres) I would on an average drink 1.5litres/day. Once the word spread that I had Mghau. I had to send the garden boy everyday to the brewery. I stopped drinking the medicine and a year later I was given a clean bill of health.

My initiation

Initiation normally took place during the Xmas work parties held in the Main Workshop. I had heard no one dared wear a tie to these parties as it was cut off with the exception of Dave Mc Kay. The reason being that he was a South African boxing champion. Before the party the workshop was cleared of all equipment. A metal trough used to house circuit breakers and transformers to prevent oil spillage on the workshop floor while undergoing an overhaul was cleaned. In it was placed the large ice blocks purchased from Coca Cola to keep the beers etc. cold. In here I was told most of the initiations took place. One of the clerks and if my memory serves me correct it was Andy Anderson was the exception. He was dumped in the trough every year.

At my first party I noticed that the info I received was genuine yet I seemed to go unnoticed, as it was already dark outside. This however was not the case as they had already decided on an action plan. It all happened so quickly and before I could react my shorts and underpants were gone. There was no recovery as they were thrown over the fence with my shorts lying on a circuit breaker. Later I managed to slip away and contact Pauline. I kept a low profile until I saw the lights of a car. As the car approached I ran out and showed the driver to stop. As I passed the car’s lights I realized it was not my car and neither was the woman behind the steering Pauline.

Another embarrassing moment

When going on holiday and sitting behind the wheel for a long time I would develop a pain in the area of my appendix. I found that by unclipping the top clip and undoing part of the zip of my shorts it helped in relieving the pain. Mac (McKenzie) also of the light current section not only had the same problem but he too adopted the same procedure as I did. Mac made two reels for extension leads. The one he gave me and to this day I still use it with its original cab tyre.

Coming back from leave I stopped at Messina to draw money in a rather full Standard Bank. On leaving the teller with my passport and letter of credit in one hand and my cash in the other the zip came loose, as I had forgotten to replace the clip. With my hands full, my shorts on the floor and the suppressed giggles coming from all directions I knew I was the main attraction. This had me at sixes and sevens. A woman came to my rescue by offering to hold the items I had in my hands.

The black sheep of C.P.C.

Sometime in 1966 a replacement rigger was employed whom I shall refer to as

Mr. X. From the first day he started he could not accept the fact that he was not considered as the strongest person with C.P.C. A close relative of his could apparently lift a Harley Davidson off the ground. To make matters worse he had to work with Big Ed and he was no doubt the stronger of the two. Big Ed was a fitness fanatic. He would cycle to work exercise on a trampoline and adhered to a strict diet. He mainly concentrated on bodybuilding. Mr. X was so obsessed with his strength that within a month he started inviting Big Ed to a fight to determine who is the strongest. The fact that Big Ed ignored him made matters worse.

It was a Saturday mourning that we were informed that Mr. X was boasting at the Rhokana Club that he was going to sort Big Ed out to day. When I saw him and his mates arrive I climbed on the rafters of the riggers workshop for a ringside seat. The mates of Mr. X were prevented from entering the riggers workshop. As Mr. X got close to Big Ed he grab him where it hurt most and hung on like a leach. I could see Big Ed was in pain but he picked up Mr. X and folded him up like a closing book. Mr. X could barely be heard when he started pleading for help.

Monday mourning he arrived with his arm in a sling requesting time off to go to the hospital. Later that mourning he contacted the general foreman Ronnie Chisholm saying that he had been booked off sick for the rest of the week as he had a broken arm and cracked ribs. He promised to bring in the medical certificate as soon as he felt better.

The following Monday a car salesman came looking for him. He apparently bought a new Jaguar earlier in the previous week and had conned them into accepting a post-dated cheque, which of course bounced. The salesman informed us that someone else was in his house. He actually got someone to rent the house and they had to pay him one months rent in advance plus the months rent. The Jaguar was found in Durban Harbour with a “Thank You” note.

Some close calls during my eight years with C.P.C.

The first incident happened just before lunchtime. I was busy fault finding on one of the Brown Boveri remote control panels and outside in the yard the maintenance team was busy doing routine maintenance on one of the transformers.

Suddenly the building started to vibrate. I jumped up and in the process I burnt my leg with the soldering iron leaving me to this day with the scar. The vibrations suddenly stopped and before I could check the burn the building started to vibrate again. I heard someone shout that the cable floor was going to explode and I saw the switching staff running for the door. As I reached the door the vibrations stopped once more followed by a deadly silence. We waited for a while before re-entering the switching room. Standing at the window we could see a labourer lying on the ground with another standing over him. The maintenance squad was missing except for one who was sitting at the bottom of the transformer. Norman Johnson came in with his knees bleeding after he fell in running away and was to scared to get up and started crawling over the stoned surface.

The labourers had apparently run into each other with enough force to knock one of them out. The maintenance staff thought it was their transformer that was going to explode and one of them injured his ankle when they jumped from the transformer.

What started the vibrations was a dropper that reacted as a pendulum when it fell across the bus bars. It was with the third swing that it came in contact with an earth connection causing a complete shut down. The cause of the vibrations was the transformers trying to compensate the load.

The clamps holding the droppers were all replaced with clamps having two extra fixing bolts.

The second incident took place when one of the switching staff put the earth rod on the live side of an isolator. According to him that was the instruction he received from the control room. He only received minor burn marks from the sparks but there was very little left of the earth rod, which was then basically just a length of conduit with the necessary attachments. A length of garden hose served as an insulator. After this incident I had to modify the existing telephone system so that all calls to and from the control room could be recorded. The correct earthing rods were also purchased.

The third incident took place when one of the maintenance labourers returning to work after lunch climbed up the wrong breaker. The rest of the maintenance squad on arriving at the site virtually froze in their tracks seeing him sitting on a live 66,000Volt circuit breaker. They knew one false move and the labourer would be kicking up daisies. Des Burns who was transferred from the mines was with the maintenance squad and he apparently handled the situation like a professional. How the labourer escaped from being electrocuted remained a mystery but after that, all equipment undergoing maintenance was barricaded.

The only fatal accident in the eight years with C.P.C

The late Pieter Rossouw lost his life while checking serial numbers on the surge diverters at Ndola. He died as a result of the burns he received.

Copper wire theft

With the construction of a power line near Luano the copper wire theft became a major problem. It was decided to energies the line after a days shift. This could slow down the construction as they would be required to isolate the line after each shift but in the long run they would actually reap the benefit. The protection equipment was set to prevent serious injury and a plan of action was set in place. Within days the alarm bells went off. The security squad was in no time on the site. On arrival they found two of the thieves supporting a third. He somehow survived both the electric shock and the fall from the pole. He was however seriously burnt. The line was completed with no further theft.

Additional training received from C.P.C.

In August 1962 I was appointed as a Charge Hand and after that on numerous occasions acted as Foreman.

It was felt that anyone in a Foreman or acting Forman ’s position should be acquainted with some of the other work phases.

I had to attend some time with the welder and sheet metal worker. During the time with the sheet metal worker I made myself a toolbox, which I gave away recently.

In 1965 I was required to obtain an Authorization Certificate. Norman Johnson acted as my instructor. The Control Staff would select the highest places to connect the earth rods. These rods were so heavy if you missed the connection point above; there was no stopping the rod from crashing down. The biggest fright I received was walking under an Air Blast Circuit Breaker when it opened or closed. I was not only deafened by the almighty bang but I am sure that I broke quite a few records. On the 14^th June 1965 Arthur Davies the Engineer in Charge of Operations issued me with my Authorization Certificate.

In 1966 after a long negotiation process it was accepted that the chances of anyone becoming a foreman was remote. The post of an Assistant Artisan Foreman was established. In July 1966 I was appointed to the post of Assistant Artisan Foreman.

My only fight I had while employed with R.C.B.P.C.

We had three labourers working in the Light Current Section. Two of the labourers started complaining about the third labourer with the nickname “Shortie”. They were always required to assist Shortie when requested but he refused to help them. When we approached him he would simply ignore us. He also always found some excuse why he could not help in cleaning the workshop. The Labour Department at Rhokana Mine informed me since Shortie was a labourer we can insist that he must help with any other task if he has no work. R.C.B.P.C. labourers were hired from Rhokana Mine.

A couple of weeks later I had two of our labourers digging a trench with their bodies soaked in perspiration. They insisted I go and fetch Shortie as he was just sitting in the workshop. His supervisor Les Aiken was on leave. At first I ignored them as I was in no mood for a consultation with Shortie. Later however I felt I was not being fair towards them so off I went to fetch Shortie.

Arriving at the workshop there was Shortie fast asleep. After waking him up I told him to come with me, as he had to help with the digging. As he got up he pointed a finger in my face and informed me that I can’t tell him what to do. With this my blood pressure rocketed sky high but somehow I still manage to keep my cool. It was as he pushed me out of his way that I lost it. Somewhere in our scuffle I hit him squarely and he fell backwards landing in a wooden crate we used for our rubbish. Before he could recover I climbed in and I only stopped to find something else to hit him with as my fists were by now sore. In that time he managed to get out of the crate and ran towards the Engineering Office Block, which was, then in front of the Switching Station building. He started running up and down the front of the offices shouting for help because Mr. Boswell wants to kill him. As luck would have it all the offices were empty. Before he could run away again I had him in the back of the panel van. The Admin staff was then in Afcom House, Durban Road Kitwe. It was around 1965/66 that they and senior officials moved into the new office block close to the main workshop.

I thought if the two other labourers saw him they would take some pity on him but instead it was the opposite. The next day Shortie did not report for work but to my surprise not only the two labourers but some of the others came and told me they were glad that someone was prepared to put Shortie in his place.

Jerry Mc Claire a very determined and likeable person. He continued his studies until he got his Wireman’s Certificate. He could also use his hands as I really admired the knife he made from an old power saw blade. Jerry and I somehow got involved with Arm Wrestling. Possibly with the rowing I could push his arm over. This I could see had really upset Jerry and it wasn’t long before he was back. Knowing Jerry I decided to let him win otherwise he would keep coming back.

Golf

Rolly Hillier one of our electricians got me to join the Golf Club. To get me started I bought Rolly’s old set. After some lessons from the Pro I started playing every Saturday. My hero at the golf club was Ray Jennings, one of our Engineers. He lost his right arm while working on the roof of a house. Watching him hit a golf ball further than most with only his left hand gave me a lot of inspiration. Till this day I have not found someone who can make better chips than served at the golf club. We would play various dice games to see who must pay for the drinks and chips. Once the rowing demanded most of my time I could only partake on a social level.

On leaving Zambia I once again started playing golf.

Rowing

Hugh James a telephone electrician with the mines spoke me into joining the rowing section of the Mindola Yacht Club towards the end of 1958. On joining they possibly had the best coxless four and the worst coxed clinker four in the Rhodesias. The clinker leaked so badly that we had to coat the outside with fiberglass. With water trapped between the fiberglass and the woodwork it became extremely heavy. In the six years of active rowing I won close on ten regattas. On joining Ian Eagger was the Chairman and coach. With our first regatta on the Zambezi at Livingstone in July 1959 we won the Lady Moore Trophy. The crew consisted of Gaven Bruce Stroke, Hugh James No.3, George Watridge No.2 and Frank.L.Boswell Bow with Ian Eagger as coach and Cox.

As the membership grew we felt it was time for some extra boats. A fund raising committee was formed with me as chairman. Ian approached the Rhodesian Lotteries and they agreed to meet us pound for pound. Being the Secretary I started corresponding with Salters. R.C.B.P.C. gave their typists permission to do all my typing. The two boats with their oars including packing and shipping would cost one thousand pounds. The oars were not from Salters.

Our fund raising dances and raffles were most popular. To make the dances more attractive prizes were issued. Most companies when approached for prizes were more than willing to help. The Astra cinema for example gave us complimentary tickets and one of their display windows. The only person that refused to give us a donation was Sid Diamond the owner of Standard Trading. He felt that at our age we should learn to work for everything we wanted. He of course was known for dishing out lollipops to the younger children. Our boats arrived towards the end of 1961.

We had two exciting races. The first race of two and a half miles (4km) took place on the Zambezi River in Livingstone. With the wind blowing strongly the river became a sea of waves. Rowing became a nightmare, as one minute you had to dig deep to get the oar in the water and the next minute it was breaking over your oar and splashboard. A waved caused by a pleasure boat crossing our bow ended up in the lap of number three and virtually brought us to a standstill. Both teams caught

quite a few crabs. The opposition sunk three quarters of a mile from the finish. If it was not for our Cox Brian Crawford we too would of sunk. After the other crew sunk he stopped us and gave us time to empty some of the water with our caps. Our crew at the time was Gaven Bruce, Derek Crawford, George Watridge and myself. Our coach was Norman Ramsey. He was like a father to us.

The second race on Lake Mc Ilwaine (Chivero) also over two and a half miles (4km). As they could not produce a straight section they opted for a triangular course. Competitors would start on opposite sides of the triangle. The toss of a coin meant that our turning point to the finish was near the middle of the lake. We were running late and by the time we rounded the first buoy it was dark. We missed the second buoy and ended up at a campsite. They indicated the direction to the rowing club and in the distance we could see torches being waved. Our Cox was Brian Taylor the rest of the crew or coach I don’t remember. Norman Ramsay was by then promoted to Judge and transferred to Ndola.

I was fortunate to partake in the first Rowing regattas to be held on Mindola Dam in 1962 and at Lusaka on the Kafue River in 1964.

One must not forget the beer races that took place after the regattas.

Come 1966 I handed over the secretarial post. At a function in appreciation of my services from 1959 to 1966 I was given a Beer Tankard. Engraved on the tankard is the letters “R.I.P.

Canoeing on the Kafue River

Doctor Bill Turner and his wife Dianne on arriving at Nkana joined the Rowing Club. His female patients better knew him as Dr. Kildaire. Before coming to Nkana they belonged to a Mountaineering Club in Cape Town. Their love for the outdoors soon had him canoeing on different sections of the Kafue. He and another four decided to canoe from the Kafue Bridge on the Mufulira Road to the Nkana Pump Station. After much nagging and offering me his spare two-seater canoe I eventually agreed to join them.

After two hours on the river I decided that I was going to get me a canoe. The odd rapid was exiting and then there were stretches that you just sit back and let Mother Nature entertain you. This is something one must experience to appreciate. Only once did we come across someone living on the Kafue. After some greetings we continued our journey.

About two thirds of the way it appeared as if the river had come to halt. In front of us all we could see was this wall of reeds. As we were paddling towards the bank of the Kafue the canoeist in front spotted a gap in the reeds. It was a fairly long stretch but just wide enough for one canoe. Apart from the increased rate of flow in the channel there were some rapids to negotiate. To make matters worse at the entrance to the channel there was this stump protruding about 30cm out of the water. The second last canoeist got wedged against the stump and I managed to free him but in turn I was wedged against it. By placing my weight on the stump I could maneuver the canoe in the right direction. Before I could let go of the stump it broke resulting in the canoe capsizing. When I surfaced I was bobbing like a cork on the waves created by the high rate of water flow. I realized the quicker I get out the better. I failed with my first attempt but managed to safely negotiate the rapids. With my next attempt I was successful but I had to hurry as my canoe was in hot pursuit. Getting out of the water proved more difficult than I had anticipated due to its force trying to drag you back. My luck changed when the canoe became wedged between the rocks. The end result was that it snapped in half and with it went my belongings.

Fortunately one of the other canoeists also had a double canoe and I could join him. From here onwards it was not plain sailing, as it was now getting dark and I was cold and wet. You could here rapids but there was no telling what to expect. It was then that I decided not to invest in a canoe. Some 10 to 15km from the pump station we could see what appeared to be a dam wall in the distance. As we approached it we noticed that it was a bridge over the Kafue. What’s more I knew where we were. I informed the other canoeist that I was getting out and I was going to ask the farmer whose house was close by to take me to the house of Ian and Heather Eagger which was also close by. What’s more Bill and I were supposed to be at their party they were having. I do believe two of the other canoeists joined me.

At Ian and Heathers house after a nice hot shower and a change of clothing, which Pauline brought me, I was ready for the party. Bill and Dianne arrived almost two hours later.

Flight in a private aircraft

Piet Vermaak one of our mechanics was friendly with the agent for Piper aircraft. I was invited to go with to Lusaka on a possible sales trip. Going there was a wonderful experience but coming back was a nightmare. We had to take off just after a thunderstorm. The farmer warned us if we were not airborne at a certain marker we were to abort our take off. The water pools on the runway felt as if it was going to bring the aircraft to a standstill. However we got airborne but just managed to clear the farmer’s maize crop.

Somewhere between Kitwe and Lusaka we were caught up in a storm. It is the most helpless feeling. Your destiny was in the pilot’s hands. All you could do is watch the pilot for signs of panic. Fortunately we made it safely but it certainly had me rattled and weak at the knees.

Sport in general

Most of the C.P.C. employees and their families took part in the interdepartmental sporting events at our club. There was bowls cricket, tennis, darts and later golf. The latter was then named as the Ravens Golf Club. If my memory serves me correct Jack Anderson one of the Engineers was behind the layout of the golf course and founder member. On the 15^th Nov 1964 I won the Ravens Golf Trophy. With the cricket I won a camp chair for being the most enthusiastic player. C.P.C. employees were one big happy family. I am convinced that the social sporting events played a major role.

At the beginning of the hockey season the Kitwe Hockey Club invited everyone to partake in seven a side matches. This was more like a battlefield. Ambulance and First Aid staff was certainly kept busy. With one of the events our team did manage to reach the finals.

From 1965 when I was not so actively involved with rowing I went and offered my services as a rugby referee. The Copperbelt Rugby Association accepted me as a referee for the second teams. At Nkana where there was no separate change room for the referee I would leave my change of clothing outside. After the match I would shower with the winning team. The separating wall between the two teams was not to the roof. The criticism I got from the loosing team over the wall was bad enough. I must say I got a lot of support from the winning side. At the bar all was forgiven. The local derby between Pirates and Diggers always ensured a full Grand Stand.

First Aid

A foreman and anyone acting in his place were given a bonus if they were in possession of a First Aid Cert. Being in the acting position I decided to do the first aid course. Eidon Davies the Engineer decided to join as well. After the first few classes I told Ramsey Roberts our First Aid officer that I wanted to call it day. The reason being that I was convinced that the locals were going to embarrass me come exam time. When questioned during classes they would rattle off the answer as if they were reading it from the book. Ramsey bet me that more than half of those writing the exam for the first time would fail. Ramsey believed that some of them had difficulty in understanding English and relied on a well-developed photographic memory. He also advised me to take small change with me when doing my practical. The locals on whom we performed our practical were all qualified First Aid members and if you did something wrong they would only help you if you put some cash in their open palm. Ramsey was right with his assumption. The reason for this probably was that the exam questions were not based on recall for example what are the signs and symptoms of say shock. They would for example give you a few signs or symptoms and you had to determine what the problem could be. Once you had given your answer you had to give other signs or symptoms you would look for to endorse your answer. To stop any further guessing I must admit my practical exam cost me a few shillings.

Ramsey made up an ointment that he applied to all the wounds he attended to. The results spoke for themselves. When I left in 1967 he gave me a large jar of his Muti. Forty-four years later and I am still using it only for emergencies with the same amazing results.

Sad days for many Ex-Northern Rhodesians.

. With the election of 1964 we had to vote for two of the three parties. After negotiations between Harry Nkambula and the Fed. Party it was accepted that they would form a coalition. With a coalition the Federal Party would have a good chance of remaining in the driving seat. Federal Party members helped Harry and his party with their campaign. On collecting him on the Kitwe runway when he was scheduled to give his election speech at the Kitwe T.V. studio it was obvious that water was not the only beverage consumed. Celebrations at Coronation square as the election results were coming in were short lived when we sadly learnt that Harry had decided to go with U.N.I.P.

Before getting T.V. around 1963 the children would play in the open field opposite my house in 11, Washington Ave. until dinner time. With the installation of T.V. children were seldom seen outdoors in the afternoons. . They were all at home watching T.V. Grown ups were just as bad. There was a notable increase of power consumption with every advertisement break when kettles etc. were quickly switched on.

Some incidents after independence

The first incident took place when Bill got himself a new garden boy. On his first day Bill was assured he understood what was expected of him. Bill really had a beautiful garden. However when Bill returned from work all the roses were dug out. He immediately lost it and got stuck into the garden boy. The garden boy on leaving threatened him with the Youth League of U.N.I.P. Bill then contacted Ronnie who advised him to go and join U.N.I.P. before they closed.

The next day when Bill got home there was the garden boy and members of the Youth League. Before Bill could say anything he was verbally attacked and in the end he was confronted with some ridiculous compensation. Bill enquired what they would of done under similar circumstances. Their reply was that in their case it would be acceptable as they were brothers. Bill then produced his U.N.I.P. card and wanted to know if he wasn’t considered as a brother.

The end result was that the garden boy was instructed to work without pay until the loss was recovered.

The second incident took place after the dogs belonging to Des had bitten a passer by in the sanitary lane. His wife informed him telephonically of the incident According to her the bite and the tear in his trousers was minor. He however refused treatment and compensation and threatened her with the police. When Des got home the police and the complainant were waiting for him. He invited the two policemen in. The first thing he did was to pour a Brandy for each of them. He then requested them to join him, as he first wanted to calm his nerves. Des could hold his liquor but after a couple of Brandies he could see that it was beginning to get to the policemen. It was then that he informed them that they could go ahead with the case. Firstly they wanted to know if Des had bitten the complainant. When he told them it was the dogs they went outside. They informed the complainant that since it was the dogs that bite him and not Des he would be allowed to go and bite the dogs in revenge.

Bribery was the order of the day for example. When you came to the front of a queue to pay an account and it was your turn to be served the clerk behind the counter found reasons to make you wait. You became so frustrated that you felt like climbing over the counter and throttling him. If however on leaving you left him with a reasonable amount of change you could be assured of priority service with your next visit. If he saw you in the queue he would call you to the front using some excuse.

I organized a dance at the C.P.C. Club. To add to the atmosphere I would hang sheets of paper from the roof with various slogans and pictures on them. The paper was from the small rolls of paper that was discarded by the Northern News after a days printing. On the one sheet for instance I had a picture of a DC4 Dakota. The slogan read “ One Aeroplane one Zambia. During the dance I was informed that members of the U.N.I P youth organization had just arrived. The above poster and a few others were quickly removed and hidden under the bar counter.

A year or so after Independence the mines and C.P.C. decided to sell all the household furniture for five pounds. The main reason being that they were experiencing huge loses with new tenants who were not ready for this transformation. Even the doors were used as firewood.

We were enjoying a picnic at Cheeseman’s farm which was on the Ndola / Kitwe road just before the intersection with the Luansha / Ndola road. It was here that while playing with one of the children that a bee stung me in the back. The prediction made under the sub title “Getting to know more of the African Culture “ in Episode Three regarding bee stings suddenly became a reality. The next thing I could hear what was being said but I could not respond in any way. The owner of Cheeseman’s Farm forced some anti allergy tablets down my throat and I was bundled into Piet Vermaak’s Mercedes. We headed for Luansha Hospital with Piet’s foot often flat on the floorboards. At the intersection with the Ndola / Luansha road we came across a roadblock as President Kaunda was on his way to Luansha. The police fortunately allowed us through after checking on me. Piet was once more was off like a rocket. A few kilometers further two policemen sitting on their new B.S.A. Golden Flash motorcycles complete with windscreens that they had just received as gift from the British Government showed us to pullover. Piet ignored them, which of course was considered a big crime. They were catching up but still some distance away when I heard Piet say that one of them had left the road and has gone into the bush. The second one had stopped to aid his partner. We could only assume that the windscreen had come loose at the high speed. The doctors on duty were prepared to go to court to confirm that it was an emergency if necessary. Luckily this was not the case.

Ronnie Chisholm the General Foreman had a toy pistol that looked like the genuine article. He would take the pistol out of his drawer and pretend that the pressure since Independence was getting too much for him. He would point the pistol at his unsuspected quarry and convincingly inform him that he was going to take both their lives. Some nearly wet themselves when the shot went off. When Des Manthey a member of the switching staff stationed in Chingola nearly had a heart attack I thought it was time for revenge. I took twelve fairly large crackers and threaded a fuse wire through them and then tapped them up with insulating tape. The space between his office floor and a window he shared with the office below was used to conceal the crackers. The two ends of the fuse wire were extended to a kiosk near the mechanical workshop. The kiosk served as a distribution point for the telephone cables. From there I could see Ronnies office window and I could connect 220Vto the extended cable pair. Everyone in the workshop was aware of the situation and kept clear of the office below Ronnie’s office. I phoned Ronnie using a muffled voice. I told him that we were sick and tired of him and that to day we plan to take revenge. As he was inquiring to whom he was speaking to, I switched on the 220V supply. After the explosion I could hear the telephone as it fell, followed by the noise of furniture falling and shouting. The best of all I too got a good fright when I saw the window being blown open with pieces of crackers and its covering flying out of the window. When Ronnie came running out of his office he instantly knew that he had been conned as everyone in the workshop were in fits of laughter.

Zambia had to do most of its imports and exports now via Mozambique. The biggest problems were the import of fuel and the export of copper.

At first 44-gallon drums were used to import the fuel. There were two problems with this: -

Firstly drums went missing along the road and were never recovered.

Secondly a petrol engine was used to pump the fuel into the petrol tanks from the 44-gallon drums. The petrol tanks were close to the intersection of Chibuluma Rd and Independence Ave. This was possibly the biggest disaster after independence. We were on our way to a rowing practice when we saw the smoke and fortunately decided to use an alternate route in case the spectators held us up. Apparently a spark from the petrol engine set the drum alight which in turn set the petrol tank alight. The Africans were convinced that it was the work of the whites and started stoning the cars. Patients were told to get out of the hospital as the whites were on the warpath. Rumour has it that some of the woman in the maternity ward jumped from the first floor windows. The fire engine of C.P.C. was called in to help but had to return as the stones started raining down on them. An instrument mechanic who had just arrived from the U.K. thinking he could entertain his family by taking them to the fire had a rude awakening. The stoning of his car was the least that was expected. If I remember correctly his wife was treated for shock and of the car windows were shattered.

Trucks were altered to transport copper and fuel. The trucks were equipped with space for the copper and above it was a huge rubber container. The idea was that they would export the copper and then return with the rubber containers filled with fuel. The problem was that the rubber containers often leaked so badly that they were empty on arriving in Kitwe. This also contributed to the disintegration of the tarred surfaces.

One of these trucks went straight into a garden of a house on the intersection of Central and Thirteenth Ave. The truck with its load of copper was well and truly bogged down. It took days to get the truck out of the garden.

Piet Vermaak was accused of swearing at a labourer. He was not sure if the labourer had gone ahead with his threat of reporting the incident. To be on the safe side he decided to keep a low profile for a while. After a week Piet and his wife Connie came to us as he felt he needed a break. Later that evening as they were leaving Piet ran straight for the pool and jumped in cloths and all. The rest of us soon joined him. Our next-door neighbour Lew Evans on hearing us came to see what was happening. The next thing his family was also in their pool and fires were lit on both sides of the fence for a braai. This certainly got rid of Piet’s frustrations.

The Author’s closing note.

Some reading Episodes 2, 3 and 4 of this article may differ from me on certain parts but it must be remembered that most of it is based on my memories which in some parts are more than 50 years ago.

It is a pity the Northern Rhodesia of 1950/60 we knew obviously does not exist anymore. We only have to look at recent photos of the Rhokana Club, Cinema, Swimming pool, Mine Mess and the condition of some of the roads to confirm this. The latter I experienced in 1992 while traveling between Lusaka and Livingstone.

Most people find it hard to understand why I left Zambia as I keep telling them how I miss the smell of fresh air after a thunderstorm, or how we were like one big happy family, or how the mines went out of their way to create a pleasant atmosphere both at work and socially, or how we would behave if we spotted another Copperbelt registered car while on holiday, or the fact that we could afford a garden and house boy.

I like most others left due to the uncertainty of our pension fund after Independence.

I sometimes also firmly believe that strangers to Zambia find it hard to fully accept everything they are told about Zambia. Just imagine telling a South African that the chameleons in Zambia are 10 times bigger than those in South Africa or during your stay of 11 years you never owned a raincoat although the average rainfall per year is around 50 inches or that in your garden you had guavas, paw-paws, avocados, mangos and bananas.

I have been away from Northern Rhodesia/Zambia for 44 years and during this time all I still hear is. “ Those were the good old days” from all ex- Northern Rhodesians/Zambians.

All Ex -Northern Rhodesia /Zambia are blessed with good memories that will fortunately remain with us forever.

After all Zambia is a beautiful country.