Lusaka's Heritage Sites

MINISTER of Arts and Tourism Charles Banda is on record of a strong affection towards the marketing of domestic tourism throughout the country.

His call is also repeated in the Seventh National Development Plan which was recently launched by President Edgar Lungu who has fond attachment to the entire tourism sector regarded as the country’s potential economic boost after agriculture.

That being the case in point with the national leader demonstrating such interest in the sector let alone the country’s foreign missions which are also doing their best in attracting tourists to make Zambia their tourism destination of choice, it goes without saying.

Domestic tourism has the potential to help stimulate stimulate economic growth by contributing to job creation, foreign exchange earnings, entrepreneurial and infrastructural development as well as improvement to rural communities.

And Zambia Tourism Agency (ZTA) Managing Director Felix Chaila on several occasions has repeatedly emphasised on the need to promote domestic tourism saying it is credibly doing well as compared to international tourist arrivals.

“It is important to note that domestic tourism has been growing at a faster rate than international tourist arrivals. Domestic tourism includes business meetings, conferences and leisure,” he says.

With this background, let us take a look at a few landmarks that are idea for the promotion of domestic tourism. We start with Lusaka.

The city has rich landmarks that have been in existence from as far back as 1900s and are still standing today. There is what is known as Limbe Shopping Complex situated on plot 109 in the central business district.

According to records obtained from the National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC), this earliest surviving building was built in 1909, it is Chiparamba and on Cairo Road. Once-upon-a-time it was called Fisher Complex and that its facade, like other old structures, is still in its original design. The building today is used as a restaurant.

Then comes Lusaka Millers House which is the current location of the National Milling Company premises. In 1928, the North-Western Rhodesia Farmers’ Co-operative Society Limited shifted from Kafue to Lusaka taking over King and Werner’s mill.

It was sold in 1921 and moved the current location of the National Milling Company premises.

There is House number 110D situated on Great North Road opposite Impala Service Station in Villa Elizabetha. This house which was built in 1932 is a display of Dutch architectural influence in Zambia, and therefore its value is of architectural and historical significance.

The building currently housing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was constructed as the base for the British South African Company (BSAC), a company responsible for the management and administration of Northern Rhodesia upto when the territory became a British Protectorate in 1924 (when first Republican President Kenneth David Kaunda was born).

On Independence Avenue at Cabinet House, there is an Old Secretariat or Old National Assembly which was designed by John A. Hoogterp, F.R.I.B.A in 1932 and erected in the same year. This is a historic building with a Georgian architecture, which is richly moulded with Romanesque pillars, gusticated mortar joints, red tiled roof and beautiful staircase.

It depicts fine and rich architectural features, and the foundation was laid by His Royal Highness Prince George of the United Kingdom. Its role as old National Assembly meant diverse legislative events that took place during the pre and post independence and there were significant to Zambia’s history.

Ahead of independence and the Legislative popularly known as the Legico used to meet in this building to make laws for the protectorate. The building was Zambia’s Parliament and today it houses Ministry of Defence and is part of Cabinet Office where the Office of the Vice President is.

The former parliament chamber has been renovated and is used as a chamber for the House of Chiefs.

Lusaka’s first Post Office is situated at the junction of Katondo and Freedom Way and was constructed in 1933 making it the oldest Post Office. Until recently, the building was used as Kwacha Secondary School before it was rehabilitated and reverted back its original purpose as a Post Office.

And just opposite the Intercity Bus Terminus, is the Marrapodi Hose sitting on plot 294. Built in 1921, this was the first residential house in Lusaka and was the residence of Govianni Marrapodi, an Italian contractor on the railway line who had come to Lusaka from Kalomo in 1909 to run lime working business in 1911.

He owned a large estate of land extending from Roma, named after his native home capital city Rome to present day Villa Elizabetha (one of the farms named after his daughter).

At present, the house is used as a restaurant or bar and it has a memorial stone laid by his nieces A. Rosina and C. Giulia in January 1999.

These are but just a few sites that can be marketed for domestic tourism. Next time we will bring you more of the domestic tourism sites worth visiting.