Dear All

My header is a dingy Victoria Falls in the distance from my house. It is raining, and raining, and cloudy and then raining some more … love it … Spending my days working in my garden … when it is not raining, that is …

As it is close to Christmas and the end of the world never happened, I thought it would be a chance for me to be nice. I am occasionally ‘told off’ for being too critical about , but bad things tend to make news … as in all media. But today I am filled with bonhomie and good will towards everyone.

So, I thought I would tell you a bit about the history of the Livingstone Weekly.

History of the Livingstone Weekly

The Livingstone Weekly actually started about 6 years ago, but there is a lot which went before. It all started in 1994 with Kristin Ese of ‘Historical Guide to Livingstone’ fame. Kristin started the Livingstone Argus under the Livingstone Residents Association. I helped Kristin with a bit of her English – being Norwegian Kristin’s English went a bit squonk now and again. When Kristin went home to Norway the Argus was taken over by Margaret Whitehead for several years. When Margaret became a Councillor for the Livingstone Town Council, she gave up the Argus because she felt that she couldn’t be part of the Council and, at the same time, comment on it. Livingstone Argus, Issue 3, October 1994

It was then, in 1999, that I started The Livingstonian, a monthly newsletter to replace the Livingstone Argus. The name changed because I was printing The Livingstonian as a private enterprise and not under the Livingstone Residents Association. The Livingstonian continued for many years but finally it gave up the ghost in around 2004. The Livingstonian gave a bit of local news and also printed the Council Minutes. People still ask me now ‘Where is the Livingstonian?’ I liked the writing of the Livingstonian but hated the logistics of printing, distribution and accounts. Nightmare.

The Livingstonian, Number 1, April 1999

When I was a member of the Livingstone Tourism Association (LTA), I began a weekly newsletter by email for LTA members – there were so many emails and information to disseminate that I decided on a weekly digest of anything which had come in during the week. Then in 2005 I resigned from the LTA and stopped the newsletter … until Karien Kermer from Wild Side Tours asked me what had happened to their weekly news …

In March 2006 or thereabouts the Livingstone Weekly began its life and has continued ever since with only a few weeks missed.

The Weekly has evolved since its beginning. It was originally meant for Livingstonians only and concentrated on local news. But as I started my travels with the culmination of my book, Beyond the Victoria Falls, I have looked at tourism and the environment in Zambia and beyond our borders.

There is a reason for the evolution from purely Livingstone news to wider news in the region on tourism and environment. I believe that Livingstone can only develop as a tourism destination if Zambia cares for the environment and promotes business in tourism. All our four countries of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia have the same issues – unemployment, poverty, environmental degradation, farming vs wildlife, people vs wildlife, etc. We are all tackling them, but often in different ways – some work and others do not. If we listened to each other, we could find solutions to many of our problems – solutions which work because they are homegrown.

Getting back to Livingstone news. Of course, I still report on what I see in Livingstone and Zambia in a general way. I have lived in Livingstone for over 20 years now and have watched and reported on things for many of those years. Things have definitely got better.

Life in Zambia

My first thoughts about Zambia are that it is a good place to live. I feel that Zambia is developing in a positive way. It is slow but we are becoming an African country to watch out for. Running the country, we have had three political parties without civil strife. Most African countries have retained one party; some have retained one leader!

When Zambia became independent in 1964 it inherited quite a good set of infrastructure from railways, roads, several developed towns and good copper mining. ‘Colonial’ rule had been kind to Zambia and had brought the people together which was how Kenneth Kaunda, the first president, could shout ‘One Zambia, One Nation’ and know that it was true. Prior to the British arriving in Zambia the country was home to a diverse range of tribes – over 70 of them – all with their own culture and ways of doing things and, very often, fighting among themselves. Now we definitely are ‘One Zambia, One Nation’.

Livingstone as Zambia’s Tourist Capital has seen a lot of changes since I arrived in 1989. Then it was very depressed although most of the old factories still had some output and people had jobs. With the 1991 change to an open economy, things fell apart in the private sector. The factories closed with outside competition and many people lost their jobs. But, because the economy was now open, tourism started. Up until then tourism had only been domestic – foreigners did not like to come to Zambia and it had not been encouraged.

Kristin’s map for Livingstone in 1994 included Kubu Cabins, Makora Quest, Chundukwa, Tongabezi, Batoka Sky, Intercontinental Hotel (now Sun) and Bungi Jumping. That was all Livingstone had to offer then. I think we have made huge strides since then!

What makes Zambia special, of course, are its people. They are generally pretty amazing – friendly, smiling, optimistic about their future. Unlike The Livingstonian days I don’t have much to do with government offices now, but those that I do have moved on in leaps and bounds. They are generally professional and efficient. A vast change from when I arrived in 1989.

My favourite office, believe it or not, is Zambia Revenue Authority. It is the only office where I can leave my paperwork for them to process and know that it will be done when I come back the next day! I know that sounds daft, but in most offices I go to, the officer will expect me to sit and wait while he taps away on a computer which is slow because of the ‘system’ (ie the internet). If you don’t sit and watch him work, it won’t get done.

ZAWA is now staffed with professional people who are extremely likeable. I think that my problem with this government department is that it is so centralised. Decisions always have to be made in Lusaka and I have rarely been given information in Livingstone. Whenever I have tried to phone Lusaka I can never find anyone actually to answer the phone except for the secretaries. And, they don’t respond to emails. Roll on decentralisation! What I admire most about ZAWA are the scouts in the Parks and GMAs. They walk. They are given a backpack with some food and supplies and left to patrol for days on end from one place to another. Brave souls.

Immigration and Customs at Zambia’s borders are getting much better. Our officers at border posts can be the most friendly of all border officials. They have a natural approach to travellers and can often be found cracking jokes and chatting with people. Recently, passing through the Victoria Falls border, the lady officer efficiently dealt with me and then wished me a safe journey. How nice was that! The only problem with their friendliness is that it cannot be 100% reliable – get them on a bad day and despair …

When it comes to utility companies, they have improved too. Both the electricity company and the telephone company process problems quickly. The other day my phone was down (as was my internet – same line). I phoned them before 8am and my problem was noted. A while later I was called back and told that there had been vandals - the lines were broken. Later in the day I found the engineers working with a pile of spaghetti cables putting it all back together again.

I know that I am always complaining about the Water Company, but they have an unenviable task. Government and NGOs all say that access to clean water is a basic human right. But most people in the suburbs can’t afford to pay and water is expensive. And then there are people like me who complain because I don’t have water for my garden! If the telephone company or the electricity company switches off a home, they won’t get ‘human rights’ blasted at them. So, although, I think that the water company can improve, I know that they have a huge dilemma on their hands …

When I think about ‘now’ and ‘then’ I realise how much Zambia has progressed in my years here. It is a great country to be in … but … next week I will probably start complaining again … So, you guys out there who tell me off for not saying nice things about Zambia, I hope this will show that I am not anti-Zambia. It is just that very few people will have reached the end of this article because it is too nice … they prefer to read nasty stuff …

Blue Lagoon National Park

I decided to have a look at the Blue Lagoon National Park this week. It was a bit of a mission as there seems to be very little ‘out there’ about it.

The Blue Lagoon is a smallish park and has to be reached via Lusaka if you are travelling from Livingstone. It is to the west of Lusaka and on the Kafue Floodplain. It is similar in environment to which is to the south of the Kafue River. Blue Lagoon floods during the rains but, like Lochinvar, the flooding regime is altered because of the Itezhi-Tezhi Dam upstream.

Here is a bit of history about the park from the Bradt Guide: Blue Lagoon is on the north side of the river. A farming couple turned conservationists, the Critchleys, originally owned it. In recent years, and especially during KK's reign, the Ministry of Defence restricted access to this 'park' to the military, plus a few privileged politicians and generals who used the old farmhouse intermittently as a hunting retreat – with predictable impact on the local wildlife.

Description of the park from the Blue Lagoon Trust (founded in 2010): Blue Lagoon National Park occupies 420 square kilometres on the northern side of the Kafue flats, and is subject to flooding by the Kafue River during the wet season. Many animals, in particular the endemic Kafue Lechwe, are found here in the wetland areas, as well as an abundance of bird life (around 580 different species have been seen here), and zebra, kudu and buffalo graze the drier parts. The park provides a contrast to the other parks in Zambia because of its vast flat landscape and spectacular birding. It also provides a perfect leisure destination for the residents of, and visitors to, Lusaka, with its close proximity to the capital. Sadly, organised poaching has resulted in the present lack of many previously indigenous species within the park. Those species that have survived are vastly reduced in number.

The Blue Lagoon is part of the Kafue Flats Ramsar Site. The Ramsar Citation states: A vast expanse of floodplains, grasslands, woodland zones and geothermal areas of high biodiversity in a complex patter of lagoons, oxbow lakes, abandoned river channels, marshes, and levees. The site supports many endangered and endemic species such as the endemic Kafue lechwe (Kobus leche kafuensis ), Wattled crane (Grus carunculatus ), and Sitatunga, amongst others, and it hosts migratory birds such as the White pelican ( Pelecanus onocrolatus ) and the Cattle Egret ( Bubulcus ibis ), as well as 67 fish species. The site possesses natural filtering and storage abilities, thus providing clean and plentiful water and acting as a natural sink for nutrients and other micro-elements.

The mammal list, according to European Commission on Protected Areas, includes , Cheetah, Lion, Impala, Hartebeest, Wildebeest, Hyena, Roan, Sable, Lechwe, Waterbuck, Puku, Klipspringer, Oribi, Grysbok, Reedbuck, Buffalo, Kudu, Eland, Pangolin, Baboon, Sitatunga, Jackal, Caracal, Duiker, Vervet monkey, Serval, Zebra, Warthog, Bushpig, According to information from the Blue Lagoon Trust, it would seem that many of these species have since disappeared.

There are no facilities in the park except for Nakeenda Lodge which is in the process of being repaired and refurbished. http://nakeendalodge.com/ Camping is allowed in some spots in the park and the Game Scouts will show you where to pitch your tent, but remember to be completely self-sufficient as all you will get is a piece of ground. Don’t forget the water. There may be plenty in the river/floodplain but you don’t want to drink it.

According to the stories about the park, the Critchleys built a causeway from their farmhouse into the floodplain with a turning circle and viewing platform at the end. The causeway and viewing platform are still there but the flooring from the deck of the viewing platform has long-gone. It seems to me that Blue Lagoon has tremendous possibilities. Could it be connected through the Kafue GMA with Lochinvar? It is actually quite a distance, but the whole area should be a magic destination to rival the Okavango.

Lukusuzi National Park

Last week I stated that I could not find out the number of bird species in Lukusuzi. One of the Weekly readers has told me that there are 210.

Misinformation

While researching on Blue Lagoon National Park I came across this website: http://www.zambiasafarisguide.com They had a picture of Niagara Falls which was said to be on the Zambezi River … the mind boggles … Can you imagine that someone books a holiday with this company, when the tour company can make such a terrible mistake on their website? On another website I found a picture of a sunken lake under their description of Blue Lagoon …

This is one reason I always say that prospective travellers have to get the best advice possible when travelling to this area of Africa and that local information is the best. These are the travel agents who I can recommend in our area: Wild Side Tours in Livingstone Backpackers Bazaar in Victoria Falls Town Tutwa Tourism in Katima Mulilo Chobe Travel Shop in Kasane.

If anyone knows of other good travel agents in our area, please let me know.

NAMIBIA

Bwabwata National Park

Last week the President of Namibia, Hifikepunye Pohamba, hosted a Christmas party for the San people at Chetto. All the San from the region attended the party.

According to the report the president spent some time with the Headman, Abraham Bock. The president committed the government to help with social upliftment of the San people.

President Pohamba : I am informed that people lack food and ID documents. I also noted that the school lacks a fence to protect children and those residing on the school premises. I ask the governor to ensure that such problems are addressed. I want to thank our sponsors for the support. I am so moved by the commitment of Namport and the Namibia Tourism Board. I am told Namport has already started assisting schools in Caprivi. Part of Namport’s success depends on the Trans-Caprivi Highway which is connecting Walvis Bay with major business centres in SADC.

In another report Hunt Africa Namibia organised a football and netball tournament for the San communities last week. Hunt Africa Namibia as the name suggests is a hunting company which undertakes hunts in Bwabwata National Park.

James Chapman, a partner in Hunt Africa: We have a social support programme of different activities. We have sponsored a tournament since last year on a rotational basis at Divundu and Omega with support from various sponsors such as Aquafresh, Morvite and Simba chips. We have also been supporting San children in the Bwabwata area by giving them food, soccer balls, sewing machines, tables and chairs to projects dealing with beadworks in the San community.

Gill Comment: The San in both Namibia and Botswana are caught in a time-warp. No longer can they carry out their normal existence of hunter-gatherer. In Namibia they are confined to small areas within the National Park where they are allowed minimal use of the forests in which they live. In Botswana too the San have been ‘encouraged’ to settle in villages where water, schools and clinics are available for their welfare. I suppose this is development. Also, many of the San have now intermarried with Bantu people and few of the children are now pure San.

What I find sad is that much of the knowledge of the old people is going to be lost. Their skills of the bush – of medicinal plants, tracking, wildlife knowledge – will not be passed on to the next generation as they are no longer required. I know that some researchers are working with San communities to try to get their knowledge written down but most of these researchers are from NGOs. Surely it is the responsibility of governments to document the lives/skills of their people. I don’t think that a Christmas party or a football tournament does justice to the plight of the San and the loss of all that knowledge to the human race as a whole.

Zambezi Waterfront Tourism Park in Katima

The Zambezi Waterfront Tourism Park will not be ready for the Christmas period as was scheduled. Although the structure of the bungalows which form part of the development is complete, they are not yet connected to electricity.

The Zambezi Waterfront is a government project and has been chewing around Nam$23million every year since 2007 when the work started. The plan by government was to stimulate growth in the area, especially tourism.

Gill Comment: It doesn’t work, sadly. Katima is a great town for shopping, but as a tourist destination is pretty grim. There is only one tourism attraction in Katima and that is fishing along the Zambezi River which is excellent. Fishing is a niche market and will not attract the numbers of tourists to fill such a large development.

This development is a typical example of government not thinking properly and hoping to placate the people of a region which has seen little development. The Caprivi Strip has long been ignored – it is an odd area which, of course, should never have been in Namibia. It was part of the Struggle for Africa deal at the end of the 1800s by barmy European powers. Leo Von Caprivi, then German Chancellor, negotiated with the British to get this bit of Africa so that the Germans, who controlled Namibia at the time, could have access to the Zambezi River.

What the Caprivi Region needs is for government and private sector to sit down and make a proper development plan for the whole region, not piecemeal projects which don’t fit into any masterplan.

WOLFGANG’S COLUMN

RWANDA’S FOREST COVER REACHES 24.5 PERCENT As The Land of a Thousand Hills prepares to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Rwanda Patriotic Front, the liberation force which eventually drove the notorious killer militias out of Rwanda and had the country rise like the proverbial Phoenix from the ashes of the 1994 genocide, did news emerge that one of Rwanda’s ground breaking policies is bearing fruits. The small East African country had under past dictatorships allowed forests to be invaded, wide scale logging was tolerated to generate profits and easy cash for regime sycophants and it was not until the RPF took power that the trend was arrested and eventually reversed. In 2006 a new national forest policy was developed, setting the country a goal to restore forest cover from then just about 20 percent to 30 percent by 2020. Major initiatives like making Nyungwe Forest a national park and evicting encroachers from Gishwati National Forest helped to get an ambitious re-forestation programme underway and the objective to eventually link Gishwati with Nyungwe is now thought quite possible by forest experts. Gishwati’s own elevation to national park status is also progressing and numerous tree planting campaigns have since 2006 driven the forest cover up by well over 4 percent to now 24.5 percent. The government’s deal entered earlier this year with the New Forests Company from the UK too has added extra initiatives as the company will use the Nyungwe buffer zones to plant commercial timber plantations, shielding the main forest from periodic tree poaching while allowing the country to develop a sustainable source of wood. All in all good news and evidence that re-forestation can work when supported by government and people, as is the case in Rwanda. Congratulations to the RPF and as usual, watch this space.

THE SMILE

Christmas Treat From the Zimbabwe Daily News:

HARARE - Retailers hoping for a last-minute festive season buying frenzy after weeks of flat sales failed to get the tills ringing after a presidential decree declaring Monday a public holiday.

Banks closed for business on Friday and will re-open on December 27 after President Robert Mugabe’s proclamation that Monday is a public holiday. The arbitrary Monday declaration has dampened spirits somewhat, with many in a last-minute rush to access cash.

Weary Zimbabweans waited in long queues for cash on Friday, hoping to scrape together enough to hold whatever celebration they can afford. …

Have a good week

Gill