TOURISM CAPITAL GETTING RHYTHM BACK: Minister working towards attracting local tourists

LIVINGSTONE, which is just a few kilometres from the Zambezi River and the border with Zimbabwe, is a hub for visitors to the Victoria Falls – Zambia’s iconic tourist attraction.

Although it lost its national capital status in 1935, the city has over the years been re-branded as the nation’s ‘tourism capital’ due to its status as the home of the world-renowned waterfall which was declared a World Heritage Site in 1989.

Minister of Tourism Rodney Sikumba was the Livingstone Tourism Association (LTA) board chairperson when the town, whose economic mainstay is hugely reliant on tourism, was going through one of the most turbulent times – the coronavirus pandemic.

He knows well how hard it was for Livingstone residents to get by.

It meant businesses, mostly tour operators and lodges and hotels, would either fold or lay off workers just so they could stay afloat.

International travel bans and travel restrictions meant loss of business for many tour operators, and lodge and hotel owners, because international nationals, who are arguably the big spenders in the city, were either not visiting or came in trickles.

Whereas Mr Sikumba could not have avoided the COVID-19-triggered job losses, his immediate remedial measure was to work towards attracting local tourists.

His call, during that period, was for tour operators to incentivise local tourism through reasonable pricing so that locals could be lured to sample local tourism packages.

“The overwhelming support as evidenced by the influx of local tourists and holiday-makers is a clear indication that the Zambian tourism sector can thrive with the support of Zambians even under challenging circumstances such as COVID-19,” he once said. “...and, as such, as LTA, we shall continue to incentivise local tourism through reasonable pricing for enhanced access to tourism services and further invest in the development of additional tourism products for all to enjoy.”

Whereas it is evident that foreign nationals are the biggest drivers of the tourism sector, the role that locals play cannot be underplayed.

It is for this reason that during the Independence Day long weekend, as people were trooping to Livingstone for the Zambian Breweries- sponsored Mosi Day of Thunder music festival, Mr Sikumba, the Tourism minister, was happy that for the first time, in two years, the country’s largest brewer drove tourism traffic into Livingstone for both locals and foreign nationals.

An estimated 10,000 – maybe even more – from Zambia as well as neighbouring Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and South Africa trooped into Livingstone for the music extravaganza.

“Tourism goes hand in hand with entertainment. The ministry has been categorical with regard to entertainment. This is an event that draws people from far and wide,” Mr Sikumba said.

Obviously, more traffic translated into more business and economic activity for the town – and Michael Moonde, a local taxi driver, was no exception.

“I have not seen this many people here in Livingstone in a long time,” he said. “But I am not surprised,” he continued. “You see, from the time they relaxed the COVID-19 restrictions and the world slowly started returning to normalcy, we knew that the city would come back to life.”

Hillary Kashempa is the current LTA board chairperson. He took over from Mr Sikumba when the latter resigned to run for political office.

He says the annual music festival brought a lot of business to the town. “It’s actually one of those events that people had been looking forward to because of the kind of traffic it comes with. People come from far and near just to experience it. To us, that is business on its own,” he said.

Mr Kashempa adds: “We are glad that, after a two-year hiatus, the organisers pulled it off. It is the biggest attraction in terms of numbers, which we had over the long weekend.”

Nearly all lodges and hotels in the tourist capital were at full occupancy. “We had a number of arrivals from neighbouring countries that came specifically for the event and took part in mostly boat cruises and game drives aside from visiting the waterfalls and the two museums,” he said.

“People had a tough time finding accommodation,” said Aaron Masiye, who had traveled  from Ndola with his partner. “Luckily for us, we had made prior arrangements. It’s our first time coming here (Livingstone) and we are glad that we timed our trip perfectly.”

However, for a tour guide that sought anonymity, it wasn’t a very good weekend.

He said much as there were a lot of people in town, most of them were local tourists that do not appreciate the value of a tour guide.

“Most of them think they know their way around the city,” he said. “But what they don’t know is that we know so much and we can even help them get bargain deals. Most of them (local tourists) fear engaging a local tour guide for fear of being exploited. Truth is, there are bad guides there, but not all of them are.”

Companies such as Abseil Zambia made the most out of the Mosi Day of Thunder. Abseil Zambia is one of the tour operators that provide nerve-racking activities that call the adrenaline to action such as abseiling or rappelling, gorge swing, high wire and also the flying fox.

“We have reduced our prices to close to half for anyone that is coming here with a ticket to the Mosi Day of Thunder. The idea is we want to encourage people, especially locals, to indulge in these activities,” said Mulele Sikaneta, Abseil Zambia operations manager.

The event drives local tourism and draws thousands of people from across the country and beyond.

Zambian Breweries decided to go with an entirely local line-up to invest more in the local artistes and have them perform on this platform.

“The Mosi Day of Thunder is a celebration of Zambian arts, music, and culture. The event brings together a number of artists on the stage to celebrate Zambia,” said Zambian Breweries head of marketing Sibajene Munkombwe.

Among the local artistes that performed were Macky II, Bobby East, T Sean, Princess Natasha Chansa, Towera Kaira, and Slim The Hitmaker.

Livingstone Mayor Constance Muleabai said: “We are promoting local artistes. We want to campaign for everyone to know that local artistes are there and that we can perform at the highest level, even as Zambians.” 

The music extravaganza is an exciting celebration of Zambian culture with the music festival’s concept derived from the iconic Mosi Premium Lager’s proposition of bringing Zambians together through music and arts at the home of the mighty Mosi-oa-Tunya Falls, where the lager gets its name from.

This article was also published in the Zambia Daily Mail newspaper of Saturday, November 12, 2022

NEBBY MULAISHO: from driver to lawyer

IT IS said the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work. 

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them - and that is exactly what former Zambia Daily Mail driver Nebby Mulaisho has done - pursue his dream of becoming a lawyer.

Mr Mulaisho, 43, who is married to Mara Mushili, with whom he has five children, attended Kambosha and Kapila primary schools before completing his Grade 12 at Mkushi Secondary school in 1996.

“After school, I sold some cooking oil at some market in Kitwe where I used part of the profits there to get a driving license sometime in 2000,” he says. “

Mr Mulaisho then moved to Lusaka and worked for Shonga Steel as a metal fabricator, Tau Risk as a security guard and also Pan-African Distributors as a salesman, before landing a one year contract with Zambia Daily Mail in 2005 as driver.

“Even as I was working here, I had not given up on my dream of becoming a lawyer one day. I kept telling myself that I will raise enough money and go to school, and I eventually did that,” he says.

After his contract with Zambia Daily Mail ended, Mr Mulaisho went on to work for Fedex as a courier before being employed in government under the Ministry of Works and Supply as a driver.

It was while at the Ministry of Works and Supply, in 2009, that he enrolled at the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA) to study law. He graduated with a diploma in law in 2012.

“In 2014, I decided it was time for me to go for my degree and that is how I decided to enroll at the Zambia Open University. I deferred a year, due to finances but I am glad to have resumed soon after,” he says.

He says it was gratifying to be among the law students graduating in October 2021.

“It was very fulfilling to me. I have plans of going for a masters of arts degree and maybe get admitted to the bar, but first, I know I have to pass the test at the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education (ZIALE). Those are things I will do eventually, with time,” he says.

Mr Mulaisho said American lawyer Courtney Griffiths who represented former Liberia president Charles Taylor at The Hague has had a great influence on his journey.

“I am a key follower of very difficult cases and Ms Griffiths inspired me a lot. I follow and learn from her experiences religiously. I have also drawn inspiration and support from my close friends and acquaintances such as Steven Nyondo, Naomi Hara and Dr Munyonzwe Hamalengwa who always encouraged me to keep studying,” he says.

Mr Mulaisho says working as a driver exposed him to a lot of places and situations that cemented his desire to study law.

“At one point, while on duty in some prisons, I interacted with a number of inmates and realised that a lot of them need legal representation. That, to me, just told me to keep pushing,” he says.

He says the other driving force has always been his family, especially children. He says he decided to set the bar so high that his children can learn that they too can become anything they want to become in future.

“I see everything I do as a stepping stone. Being a driver, people tend to look down on you so many times thinking that you cannot be anything more than being just a driver. There is a lot of ridicule that comes with this job, but for me, I just had to curve my own path and prove people wrong,” he says.

He says education is the greatest equaliser in the universe.

“I believe that anyone can achieve anything with an education and it makes you useful in society too,” he says.

He adds: “I will support my children up to the end. One of them completed grade 12 and intends to study engineering and the youngest is a just under two years old.”

Mr Mulaisho is currently seconded to the country's electoral body, Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).

ZAMBIANS ON THE RISE INTERNATIONALLY: A few more Zambians are stamping their names on the international stage

LAST month, Monde Muyangwa officially became the newest USAID assistant administrator for the Bureau for Africa.

President Hakainde Hichilema was among the first to congratulate her following her confirmation.

“We wish her all the very best in her new role and look forward to our continued cooperation with the USA in our journey to building a better Zambia for our people,” President Hichilema said.

USAID Administrator Samantha Power administered the oath of office for Dr Muyangwa in front of her husband, Dr David Kaloustian, daughter Inonge, father-in-law Ara Kaloustian and mother Namukolo, including other friends and family members who followed the swearing-in ceremony virtually from Washington, US.

In her remarks, Ms Power shared how Dr Muyangwa, who holds a PhD in international relations and a BA in politics, philosophy and economics from the University of Oxford as well as a BA in public administration and economics from the University of Zambia, has always exhibited a passion for education from a young age. In fact, this passion ran through the family.

“As Monde embarked on her own educational journey, it became clearer and clearer that she, like her family, wanted to give back to her country,” Ms Power said.

“Her passion for service kicked off when she moved to Lusaka. In Lusaka, she experienced an entirely new world. Every night, Monde and her family gathered around the TV and watched the news together. Each broadcast exposed her to the deep need in her own country and the need around the world.”

Ms Power said these nightly news updates cemented Dr Muyangwa’s passion for global affairs.

“I know Monde, as a globally respected thought leader on US-Africa relations with unmatched credentials, will tap into the opportunities throughout sub-Saharan Africa and will help create many more,” she said. 

“As assistant administrator for the Bureau for Africa, Monde will take her turn outstretching her hand to others on behalf of the United States.”

Eight months before Dr Muyangwa took up her appointment, another Zambian, Amanda Khozi Mukwashi, was in the news when United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed her as the United Nations resident coordinator in Lesotho.

Ms Mukwashi previously served under the United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV) in Germany as chief of Volunteer Knowledge and Innovation.

Among the many positions she has held include being chief executive officer of Christian Aid, an international development and humanitarian non-profit organisation working in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean , and the Middle East.

The confidence that international organisations and institutions have in Zambians has been oozing for years and goes back to even as far back as 2009 when Chingola-born lawyer Chisanga Puta-Chekwe was appointed deputy minister for citizenship and immigration in Canada.

He also served as secretary-general of the Order of Ontario. There is also the recent appointment of the Savenda Group of Companies chief executive officer Clever Mpoha to the advisory board of the Thembekile Mandela Foundation (TMF), another illustration of the confidence international organisations continue to have in the abilities of Zambians. 

Mr Mpoha was appointed to the TMF advisory board on September 1 for a period of five years.

The TMF is named after anti-apartheid icon and South Africa’s first black president Nelson Mandela’s son Madiba Thembekile Mandela, who died in a road traffic accident in 1969 at the age of 24.

In the latest appointment, TMF founder and chairperson Ndileka Mandela had the following to say to Mr Mpoha: “I am pleased to inform you that the Board on September 1, 2022, on the recommendation of its nomination committee and your exemplary services to the community, has appointed you as a member of the advisory board, effectively for a period of five years.”

Ms Mandela, who is the first granddaughter of Nelson Mandela, founded TMF with a view to ensuring that all learners in selected rural schools have access to education, infrastructure and the right to quality life in South Africa.

A key objective of TMF is to continue the legacy of Nelson Mandela by promoting health and education programmes in selected rural schools.

This objective is in line with that of Savenda Group’s own charity works which include the sponsorship of the Savenda Awards of Excellence at St Mary’s Secondary School in Lusaka.

The Savenda Awards recognise academic excellence from Grade Eight to 12 and are aimed at helping raise the level of competition among pupils at the Catholic Church-run school.

Ms Mandela said the appointment of Mr Mpoha to the TMF board was aimed at bringing African minds together to solve African problems, with the shared vision of developing Africa as one community.

Mr Mpoha heads Savenda Group, a Zambian procurement and logistics solution conglomerate which has business interests in mining, telecommunications, energy, agriculture, automotive, insurance, ICT, aviation, petro-chemical and medical fields.

Further, the group’s motto is Save Nations Develop Africa, which is a pan-African approach of ensuring that Africa is developed by Africans.

As a global supply chain management company established since 1997, significant synergies exist in Savenda due to a network of associations in the USA, Middle East, Africa, European Union and Asia pacific regions.

In her appointment letter to Mr Mpoha, Ms Mandela said she believed the Savenda Group CEO’s business acumen would add value to TMF.

“As a great pan-African businessman, we believe that your experience and leadership in [the course of the organisation] will be of great value to the mission and vision of our foundation. We wish you success in this new assignment and have confidence that you shall transform TMF to the next level.”

Mr Mpoha is a published author whose book, The business mind of Clever Mpoha: The Group MD who built Savenda Group of companies into an African conglomerate, has received international acclaim.

In its book review published in its June 26-July 2, 2021 edition, The Economist magazine describes the book as one of the most inspiring stories for any young Zambian.

“A touching book which could be taught in every school,” The Economist summed up.

Early last month, the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies and the Southern African Institute for Policy and Research (SAIPAR) honoured Muna Ndulo, a William Nelson Cromwell Professor of International and Comparative Law, for his influence as a legal scholar, constitutional advisor, academic leader and expert in international law.

In the entertainment circles, Sampa The Great, born Sampa Tembo, is making waves as a Zambian rapper. For the first time, a Grammy looks possible for Zambia.

For a long time, first President Kenneth Kaunda and celebrated footballer Kalusha Bwalya have been the most recognisable Zambian names on the international stage. But now a few more Zambians are stamping their names on the international stage.