Lundazi is a town in eastern

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most cent ...

, lying near the border with

Malawi Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast ...

, around from

Chipata The city of Chipata is the administrative centre of the Eastern Province of Zambia and Chipata District. It was declared the 5th city of the country, after Lusaka, Ndola, Kitwe and Livingstone, by President Edgar Lungu on 24 February 2017. The c ...

. Lundazi is known as a "''Boma''" or administrative centre ( ''boma'' derives from the Swahili word for a thorn fence, built to protect livestock or travelers' camps). It was a former colonial headquarters. Lundazi is the District Capital — or "county seat" — for

Lundazi District Lundazi District is a district of Zambia, located in Eastern Province. The capital lies at Lundazi. As of the 2000 Zambian Census, the district had a population of 236,833 people. In 2018, Lundazi district was divided into 3 districts (Lundazi, L ...

, which is the central portion of Eastern Zambia. It is perched high above the eastern side of the

Luangwa Valley The Luangwa River is one of the major tributaries of the Zambezi River, and one of the four biggest rivers of Zambia. The river generally floods in the rainy season (December to March) and then falls considerably in the dry season. It is one of ...

, and close to a quiet border crossing (the Mqocha/Mtyocha Border) to Malawi. 510px, Coat of arms It has an airstrip, schools and a hotel in the form of a

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

. The building of the castle was begun in 1948 by the Kenyan born District Commissioner

Errol Lancelot Button Errol may refer to: People with the given name *Errol Barnett (born 1983), anchor and correspondent for CBS News *Errol Barrow (1920–1987), first Prime Minister of Barbados *Errol Brown (1943–2015), British-Jamaican songwriter, lead singer ...

(1913-1991), who reputedly sketched out its design on the back of a cigarette packet. The castle overlooked a swamp where the Lundazi and Msuzi Rivers met, which Button dammed using soil carried to the site in grass baskets. The dam now supplies Lundazi's water and used to be home to several hippos. The town also has a district hospital, a post office, two banks, two filling stations, a market, and some small shops. Lundazi Town is small and one can easily walk from one end of town to the other. Lundazi's local political system is made up of 25 wards and 11 chiefdoms. Each ward is represented by an elected councillor and the 11 chiefdoms by two representative councillors in the

Lundazi District Council Lundazi is a town in eastern Zambia, lying near the border with Malawi, around from Chipata. Lundazi is known as a "''Boma''" or administrative centre ( ''boma'' derives from the Swahili word for a thorn fence, built to protect livestock or trav ...

. File:Lundazi Council.jpg, Lundazi Council Building The spoken language is Tumbuka. The main source of income is agriculture and trading. Most of the traders are Zambians of Asian origin. Lundazi has a popular name Box One Kanele''' (apparently a corruption of 'Colonel'). The town is the District Capital for

, the central portion of Eastern Province.

References

External links

Africa 40 years on:Return to Lundazi

The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econo ...

, Dec 20th 2005
Blog with photographs
Populated places in Eastern Province, Zambia {{Zambia-geo-stub