zambia independence day

Happy Zambian Independence Day! Forty years ago yesterday, the British government transferred power to a group of freedom fighters led by Kenneth Kaunda. It’s not too late to send a greeting card to the Zambians you love!
For those unfamiliar with my interest in Zambia, I spent six weeks there last year as a Pew Fellow. Here’s the blog I kept while there.
I had a chance to meet with Kaunda while I was there. He’s a great (if imperfect) man. I’m glad the current administration in Zambia finally admitted a few days ago that Kaunda was not involved in the 1997 coup attempt, for which he’d been arrested. (Kaunda lost reelection in 1991 and was replaced with the deeply unimpressive Chiluba regime. Chiluba, growing increasingly unpopular and fearing a Kaunda return to power, trumped up the coup charges.)
Speaking of Zambia, Sunday Times readers may have seen this travel piece by Jill Abramson, the Times’ managing editor. It’s all about her stay at the Royal Livingstone, next to Victoria Falls on the Zam/Zimbabwe border. If it sounds like an appealing place to stay, don’t get too excited until you get to the end and see the price tag: rooms starting at $539 a night.
When I was in Livingstone, I saw the Royal Livingstone on a couple occasions. Seemed like a nice place. I stayed, however, at Gecko’s Guesthouse, a perfectly acceptable place that cost $12 a night. While I (unlike Jill) didn’t have a personal butler, I’m still convinced I made the right choice.