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Africa
Travel Magazine's "Great Cities of Africa"
editions include Lusaka,
Zambia and Livingstone,
tourism capital and home of Victoria
Falls, one of the Top
10 Wonders of the
World
Discover
the Real Africa in
Livingstone!
 A
delightful characteristic most ATA
delegates share is their eagerness to
explore new parts of this fascinating
continent. With 53 unique countries and an
endless variety of topography, cultures
and wildlife species, it's truly a
lifetime quest. The trio on the right is a
fine example of ATA's jet setters - Robert
D'Angelo of Philadelphia; Elyse White of
Harlem, and Robert Eilets, whose photos
are seen on our web site and magazine.
Like most members, they are anxious feel
the spray and catch the splendor of
Victoria Falls. They also seek to learn
facts about Livingstone, our hosts for a
key segment of the 2003 Congress.
Livingstone Tourism Association has
provided the following historical sketch,
written by Mr. Gill Staden, a well known
journalist from the area. We know that you
will enjoy his story.
 The
City of Livingstone was born on 25
February, 1905, much to the annoyance of
the white pioneers who had come to the
area. These hardy men and women had
settled themselves by the river, 5 km
upstream from the Victoria Falls and they
felt that a move up to the new Livingstone
would be disastrous for trade. The British
South African Company (BSAC), who
administered this area of Central Africa
had, in 1905, completed the Victoria Falls
bridge and felt that it was about time to
move the pioneers from the
mosquito-infested swamplands by the river
where the people had lived for the past 10
years. The BSAC had to enforce the edict
by giving fines of one shilling per day
for anyone who failed to move. Eventually
the old settlement was abandoned. There is
not much to see at the original site,
known as the Old Drift, only some
non-indigenous trees and the graves of
some of the many who died there. It is now
within the Game Park.
The
first buildings to be erected at the new
Livingstone were made of poles and mud,
with tin roofs. The site was high up on a
sand ridge in the middle of a forest of
teak trees. The railway line had only
reached the station, about one km away -
quite a distance to walk on the sandy
roads. The people were not happy in the
new Livingstone and wondered what was to
become of them. Then the BSAC decided to
move their administrative center from
Kalomo to Livingstone. From 1907 to 1935,
Livingstone was the capital of North
Western Rhodesia, and this was a time of
prosperity. It was during these years that
many buildings were erected.
We
often consider these times as being
romantic, and to us it must seem that way,
but life was not easy. Water was a
continual problem - it had to be pumped up
from the Maramba River and bucketed to the
houses. The toilets of all the houses were
sited at the back of the yards where the
bucket brigade using ox-carts came every
morning to empty the sanitary buckets. All
the roads were deep sand, making a walk of
any distance tiresome. A tram-line was
laid from town to the railway station and
then on to the boat club. Small cabooses
were made for people to sit on and they
were pushed up and down the hill by
servants. Many of the old houses which
were built at this time have fallen into a
state of disrepair. But some are being
lovingly restored and are well worth
looking for. In the future if the economy
continues to pick up more will be restored
and this will enhance the beauty of
Livingstone.
North
Western and North Eastern Rhodesia were
amalgamated in 1935 to form Northern
Rhodesia and it was then that the capital
was moved to Lusaka - a more central
location. Livingstone continued to thrive
for some time because it became a
manufacturing center. Factories made
blankets, textiles, clothes, cars. But
slowly, as the economy started to decline,
so did the wealth of Livingstone. After
Independence in 1964, Northern Rhodesia
became Zambia and shortly after that
Zambia adopted the politics of humanism,
which is akin to socialism, and a
one-party government. More and more Zambia
cut itself off from the outside world. The
price of copper, their main export,
decreased. The economy did not diversify.
Zambia became poorer and poorer.
Livingstone suffered badly as tourism was
not encouraged and the manufacturing base
declined. It left Livingstone (along with
the rest of Zambia) with extremely high
unemployment and dreadful poverty. Finally
the people stood up to be counted and
voted in a new government which espoused a
multiparty democracy. Since then Zambia
has opened its doors to the outside world
and taken on major economic reforms.
This
has led to an increase in tourists
visiting Zambia, especially
Livingstone.
For
full information on services at
Livingstone Tourism Association, see the
web site:
www.livingstone.com,
e-mail: lta@zamnet.com
http://africa-ata.org/za-wildlife-camp.htm
Natural
Mystic
Lodge
on the Zambezi
More links to come
http://www.africa-ata/za_livingstone.htm
Livingstone
and Victoria Falls
The Southern part
of Zambia is one of the most famous
regions in Africa. For here is located the
Victoria Falls, the largest curtain of
falling water in the world, also known
locally by the poetic name Mosi-O-Tunya,
"The Smoke that Thunders".
Only those who have
seen the pillars of spray rising far into
the blue sky like a cloud of smoke, felt
the slight vibration of the ground beneath
their feet heard the tremendous roar of
millions of liters of water plunging
headlong into a narrow charms, been
drenched by the continually falling rain
coming through the trees as they walk
through the emerald green setting of the
rain forest stood on the Knife Edge Bridge
o gaze into the deep raging gorge below,
or been confronted with the haunting
captivating sight of a clear and beautiful
lunar rainbow-scintillating with such an
unearthly glow, can understand the spell
that the Falls has cast over man for
centuries.
This region has
matured into a Mecca for lovers of the
adventurous lifestyle and has now become
one of the adventure playgrounds of the
world. It is brimming with unlimited
Opportunities for
the adventurous.
Livingstone
Named after the
Scottish missionary and explorer, the
small city of Livingstone is a testament
to the years of British colonial rule.
Public buildings with wide steps, columned
entrances and white facades, Edwardian
residences and Cape Dutch churches evoke
an atmosphere of a bygone age.
In 1935, when the
capital was transferred to Lusaka.
Livingstone had to find a new role for
itself. By the time of Zambia's
independence in the 1960's, it was known
as the tourist capital of Zambia, due to
its proximity to the Victoria Falls.
Complete with an international airport
today, Livingstone looks set to burgeon
into one of Africa's busiest holiday
centers.
The Victoria Falls
are 10 km from Livingstone. It is in fact
divided into six waterfalls: Devils
Cataract, Main Falls, Horseshoe Falls,
Rainbow Falls, Armchair Falls and Eastern
Falls.
For centuries,
these dazzling waterfalls were considered
sacred and local people came here to pray
and make their offerings. Only following
the visit of David Livingstone on 16
November 1855 did they come to the
attention of the western world? The Falls
is designated as a World Heritage site by
UNESCO. It will stand naked of modern
attractions and remains as beautiful as
ever in its natural setting.
Dr. David
Lingstone
Missionary, Traveler,
Philanthropist'
In choosing to name
the town after Livingstone, its founders,
which due deliberation, placed themselves
within the aura of a man who was regarded
throughout the British Empire as a
saint"
After independence
in 1964, Zambia' Africanized" all Colonial
town, place and street names, except for
the town of Livingstone and the Victoria
Falls, another legacy of the
explorer.
David Livingstone
is considered a hero in modern Zambia as
well. A national monument stands at the
place where Livinstone died in the
Bangweulu Swamps, in Zambia's Northern
Province. schools, churches and colleges
are named after him…
In addition, it is
fitting that this largely Christian
country salutes a man who dedicated his
life to spreading the gospel and ending
slavery in Central Africa.
The territories now
bordered within modern Zambia, enjoyed the
bulk of his efforts.
Born into relative
poverty in 1813 in Scotland, David
Livingstone struggled to achieve his
ambition of being a medical missionary.
Accepted into the London Missionary
Society in 1838, graduating Physicians and
Surgeons. Three weeks later, he was en
route to Africa, to Kuruman via Cape
Town.
Mission life at
Kuruman didn't suit Livinstone and
circumstances didn't help either. In fact,
Livingstone opinioned that missionaries
should only remain at one place long
enough to establish a mission station and
train native teachers. Towards this end,
accompanied by his long-suffering wife,
Mary and backers, Murray & Oswell,
Livingstone set out in 1849 on an arduous
and fruitless journey to establish a
mission station at Lake Ngami (Botswana).
Undeterred by failure, he tried again,
attempting to travel further North in
search of a suitable mission site…
but fever caused him to return.
In 1851, Lvingstone
and Oswell set out once again. 5 months
later they arrived at Shesheke. In
addition, Livingstone met with the Zambezi
River for the first time and heard mention
of "Mosi-oa-Tunya, the smoke that
thunders".
Determined to find
an ideal location for a mission as well as
a practicable route to the West Coast,
Livingstone embarked on what is considered
his first great missionary journey, a
journey that started in Cape Town in June
1852. By December he had reached Linyanti,
a year later he headed for Luanda after a
frustrating search for a fever-free
mission site. and it was a journey from
hell. Six months in, twelve months out,
arriving back at Linyanti in September
1855.
Now looking for an
outlet to the East Coast, he broke his
journey to see for himself. the waterfall
that thunders and smokes. On the 22nd of
November,, 1855, he approached the falls
in a small boat from upstream and landed
on what is today called Livingstone Island
located on the lip of the falls. With the
mile-wide Zambezi rushing past on either
side, "creeping with awe to the edge of
the verge, I peered down into a large rent
which had been made from bank to bank of
the broad Zamberxi and saw the river leap
down a hundred feet before becoming
suddenly compressed into a space of
yards…
The most wonderful
sight I had seen in Africa"
On the 22 November,
1855, Davie Livingstone became the first
European to see, what he named 'The
Victoria Falls" in honour of his queen.
Livingstone continued his journey,
reaching Quilimane, Mocambique in May
1856.
IN 1858,
Livingstone, now designated "Consul" and
backed by Empire, embarked on his
ill-fated "Zambezi Expedition" A futile
attempt at opening the south-central
interior of Africa via the "God's Highway'
of the Zambezi River. He still managed to
visit the Victoria Falls for the second
time on the 9 of June, 1860.
IN 1865,
Livingstone embarked on his last great
journey in search of the source of the
Nile. It was on this journey that he
encountered Stanley in 1872 at
Ujiji…"Dr. Livingstone, I
presume>>"
David Livingstone
died on May 4,1873, in Chitambo's Village
on the edge of he Bangweulu Swamps, still
seeking the source of the Nile… but
in the wrong place. His last words
referring to slavery recorded in his
diary:
"All I can say in
my solitude is, may heaven's rich blessing
come down on every one, American, English,
Turk who will help to heal this open sore
of the world."
Zambia's popularity
as a tourist destination is in ascendancy,
a fact vindicated by a booming
Livinngstone. This past decade of democrat
has seen unprecedented growth in the town
and surrounds.
Zambia has always
enjoyed a calm political atmosphere. This,
along the great views, easy and affordable
access and friendly welcoming people,
makes Zambia the ideal choice for viewing
the Falls.
Zambia is the
seventh natural wonder of the world and
the town of Livingstone and encourages
exploring the rest of Zambia, the real
Africa.
When Dr. David
Livinstone or Munali as he was known to
Africans met with Munokalya Mukuni (Royal
of Royals), neither of then realized they
shared one thing in common, the name
"Livingstone". For one of the rituals
during coronation transforms the Mukuni
tile holder into the "Living Stone' And he
dies his death is officially announced as
the "Living Stone is
shattered."
This explains why
Livingstone City retained its colonial
name at Independence when it became
fashionable to replace colonial with local
names. The continuation of the name
Livingstone made a lot of sense in the
psychology of the local people.
Traditionally
Munokaly Mukuni jointly rules the Victoria
Falls region with a queen known as the
Bedyango. Thus the Mukuni monarch
practices a dual kinship system between
male and female lineages. In his culture,
women decide and manage the cultural
issues including land allocation whereas
men carry management.
By Chief Mukuni
European
colonization brought peace and order.
Today the Tonga, Leya, Toka and Lozi
peoples peacefully cohabit the rural
parameters of Livingstone Town. Defined by
tribe, ruled by tradition governed by a
democracy and occasionally mixing freely
in the competitive urban free-market
melee, that is Livingstone
today.
A country rich in
wildlife, Zambia was named after the
mighty Zambezi River, which flows through
southern Zambia.
He has a population
of about 10 millions. It is a very young
country. There are 73 identified language
groups among Zambia's indigenous
population. All of these are Bantu
speaking. The country provides fabulous
options for the wildlife adventurers
including both night and day games drives
by open vehicle, walking safaris using
remote Bush camps or mobile tented camps,
canoe safaris and white-water
rafting.
The country's four
major parks are SOUTH Luangwa National
Park, North Luangwa National Park, lower
Zambezi National Park and Kafue National
Park. South Luangwa and the Lower Zambezi
are the most popular of the four, largely
due to their concentrations of
game.
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