Find time to go through this long but very exciting historic memory lane

Find time to go through this long but very exciting historic memory lane.

From Peugeot 404, the Italian brick maker Mr. Marapodi (named compound), Paul Ngozi’s take away food shop called ‘Chibe Paka Paka’ in Kabwata to Errol Hickey’s Mr. Rooster on Cairo Road, Highlights Disco and soooo much more

(1) Lusaka Hotel had a men’s only bar called The Dog Box. Entrance was through Cairo Road.

2) Au Mont Blanc was a cafe next to the Lusaka Post Office across the car park behind a retail store called The Rendezvous which was in Cairo road.

3) Bagayuko Sounkalo of Mali was the African Heavyweight Boxing Champion (ABU) and had declared that the sun would never rise in Bamako if he lost the title fight to Zambia’s Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion The late Lottie Gunduzani Mwale.

Bagayuko was knocked out by Lottie within six rounds. The sun still rose in Bamako.

4) The first Disco in Lusaka was called Dust Bin and was at The Turf Club in Lusaka’s show grounds.The DJ was a Zimbabwean called Joe Pike.

5) The late Keith Mulevu was the lead guitarist of a Lusaka based band called The Rave Five in the late 60s and 70s when hipsters and bell bottom trousers where in fashion.

6) Ray Uyazi was a Zambian Pilot with Zambia Airways who died in a horrific road accident along Great East Road in Chelstone near the water tank.

7)The Rhodesian Army Scouts landed at the Lusaka golf club late one evening during Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle and shelled a house across the road with bullets.

8)Rumour was that the occupant was Zimbabwe’s Freedom fighter the late Joshua Nkomo survived by escaping through a very small back door, as huge as he was.

9) A popular Copperbelt based band called The Witch later moved to Lusaka. W.I.T.C.H stood for “We Intend To Cause Havoc”.Their popular album was “Lazy Bones”.

The surviving member and vocalist of the band is Emmanuel Jaggery Chanda.

10) Zimbabwean Tyrant President Robert Gabriel Mugabe lived in Chalimbana east of Lusaka and was a teacher at the college there.

11) Never ‘Spoiler’ Kapenda was a notorious armed robber who was gunned down by the Lusaka anti robbery squad after a chase and exchange of gun fire on the out skirts of Lusaka in the Makeni area.

12) The first Zambian pop festival was held at the Jubillee Hall in the Lusaka show grounds. All big bands in live music took part in the ‘make love not war’ festival.

13) Elisha Banda was the boss of the much feared ‘Road Traffic Commission’ in Lusaka. They were nick named ‘Cowboys’ because of their out fits. They patrolled Lusaka in white Fiat 124 cars. Their boss Elisha drove an E type Jaguar.

14) Mini-skirts and Bell-bottomed trousers were once banned around Lusaka City by the no nonsense UNIP womens brigade.’King Cobra’ Michael Sata banned spitting in the streets of Lusaka when he was the Lusaka Governor. He gave Council Police powers to arrest anyone commiting the offence.

15) Zambi snack bar was a popular meeting place in Lusaka’s Cha Cha Cha road next to Lusaka Music Palour. The famous palour was owned by the late Edward Khuzwayo who produced most of Zambian music on vinyl.

16) Zambia’s late Zam-Rock icon Paul Ngozi owned a take away food shop in Kabwata called “Chibe Pakapaka” He lived in Chinika compound before moving to Libala stage 2 till his death. He owned a sleek blue Skyline car. His band was called the Scorpions and they jammed in Makeni at a bar called the Pelican.

(17) King Marshal Jetu was a Malawian Heavy weight boxer who claimed he could kill a bull with a single punch when he came to Zambia for a bout.The referee stopped the fight in the early rounds to save the King from further punishment from his opponent. He was stranded in Zambia for a while until the late Lottie Mwale rescued him by funding for his trip back to his homeland Malawi were he died gracefully.

18) Zam cabs were orange and white taxis owned by UBZ (United Bus of Zambia). Each Belmont automatic transmission taxi was more expensive to maintain than the money each made. The Zambia Police and other government departments had a share of the Yugoslav Arrow and Belmont vehicles which were always breakingdown.

19) The ghost of Rosemary, a Lusaka waitress who was said to have died misteriously appeared in three different bars she had worked in.. First appearance was at Tambalala bar owned by a Mr Kasanda along Kabwe road not far from Chingwere cemetery where she was supposed to have been buried. Second appearance was at the Independence bar in Emmarsdale owned by The Findlays. Third appearance was at the Evening bar in Matero owned by Saigar Daka where she was said to have kissed a man who lost all his teeth and lived to tell the story.

20) Plaza Cinema along Chachacha road was known as Carlton Cinema and was owned by a settler well known as Mr George. Captain Charles Mbilika was an usher there while at Matero boys Secondary School. Charles later trained and qualified to became a pilot with Zambia Airways.(

21) Carlton Cafe was in the Central Arcade and had a private ‘Whites only’ bar called the ‘Grill Room’. It became the Forum (Boxers Mess) when the late Lusaka lawyer Mr Folotia took over the premises. The Other Cinema next to Plaza Cinema was a bar called Carlton Bar which was once popular with South African Freedom fighters. In the alley behind the bar was a brothel.

22) Nigerian Gibson Nwosu was a boxing and wrestling referee/promoter based in Lusaka. His Zambian wife owned a take away food shop called Zaninge next to the famous Shop No 3 on the ground floor of the Society building.Top floor of the building was Hanif Adams Room at the Top night club ( High Lites) which mysteriously caught on fire one early morning.

23) Another Nigerian promoter/referee and businessman was Enock Eneke who owned the Mumana Motel at the edge of Chainama Hills Mental Hospital by a stream.

24) Changu Shankomone and Kelly Lungu where netballers who played for the Zambia National Netball Team. Winstone Gumbor was a football referee before becoming FAZ (Football Association of Zambia ) boss. He owned a barber shop in the Lusaka Hotel building in Katondo Street.

25) Lusaka wrestler, Fred Coates owned Fred Joe Auctioneers in Cairo road. Unfounded rumours spread that he was the Lusaka strangler. The actual Lusaka strangler turned out to be an army sergeant called Sililo who killed himself when he did an olympic style dive from the roof of the Lusaka Central Police Station when he was captured.

26) Alice Lenshina was an obese cult leader who caused havoc in Northern province and caught in Chipata( Fort Jameson) supported by her corrupted church followers. She was captured by the armed forces and died in detention.

27) Adamson Mushala was among the most wanted criminals in Zambia. He was a forest ranger who raped women and robbed villagers. He was shot dead in the bushes of Solwezi by armed forces from Gonda Barracks in Chipata after a tip off to the authorities by his young wife. He had a long game of hide and seek with the government forces. His body was shown on the front page of a Zambian news paper for all to see.

28) CARS (Central African Road Services) became known as UBZ (United Bus Company of Zambia). Transporters Smith and Youngson became CH (Contract Haulage). Sacha (Tharcher) Main Bus Stop along Chilimbulu road opposite Kamwala clinic became a National Milling Deport. Not far was Hoola Hoop Bar where Baba Gasto was a popular musician then.

29) At the corner of Katondo street and Freedom way was The Lagondola bar and night spot owned by former Bank of Zambia boss Mr Jere.. Lagondola became a popular spot because of the teentime shows by The Cross Bones. A ganja smoking band from Kenya called the Sunburst became a resident band. Music carried on until morning almost every day. Mr Jere also owned another night spot in Makeni called Kilimanjaro Pleasure Resort. Mike Nyoni, Chris Chali and other Lusaka bands were regular performers at both night spots.

30) Directly across Freedom way from Lagondola was Stanley Bar. Just outside Stanley bar was the main station for transport to Kanyama compound. Stanley bar was popular with Zairean sex workers( Bandumba) in the evening till late.The sex workers used to line up outside for clients to take their pick.

(31) A Kabulonga house servant was stripped naked by the Zairean sex workers for failing to pay one of them after a quick service in an alley. He was rescued from further embarassment by the Para Military Police (Baparapara) who always patrolled the streets of Lusaka at night.