The History of Kitwe

A work in progress… Next time you walk down the street, wherever you are,  take a good look around you. You are watching history from a privileged front seat. The sights, sounds and smells around you are the ingredients of a historic time capsule. Someone down the line will look back one day, and wonder what it was like to walk where you are walking today. Today is history in the making. YOU are a history maker. History will be incomplete as long as it does not chronicle YOUR experiences today. That's how important each human being is.

Boy at Lake Bangweulu - Samfya - Zambia

Brian Barratt took this photo in the 1960s on the shores of Lake Bangweulu. He has recorded his thoughts on his nice website (http://www.nrzam.org.uk/BrianBarratt/Brian.html):

"While I was gazing out over the water, and watching the sun slowly rise, a little boy came and sat nearby. He, too, just gazed into the distance. I didn't speak to him, because I thought he might be saying his morning prayers……"

This could also be the only photo in existence, of someone's grand father! Think about that for a moment. Compiling historical records is an enormous challenge and responsibility. It's a massive jigsaw puzzle and every piece counts. It is also enormously satisfying. Brian's website is a gem and provides nuggets like this aerial photo of Kitwe's Independence Avenue running North from its junction with Oxford street (bottom).

Independence Avenue -Kitwe - Zambia

Between OK Bazaar and Edinburgh Hotel on the left, you can see the Astra Cinema building from which roof this photo (below) was taken:

Matuka Avenue - Kitwe - Zambia

Looking East along Matuka Avenue towards the City (Kaunda) Square

(source: http://www.nrzam.org.uk/GMLife/GMLife.html).

Like the modular robot that re-assembles itself when kicked apart, the internet is furnishing us with a tool that allows pieces of the historic jigsaw puzzle to creep towards each other to recreate a beautiful work of art.

To read about The Early History Of Kitwe, click here

12 Thoughts on The History of Kitwe
    Musonda Lemba
    11 Mar 2011
    7:38pm

    This is certainly a great site for Kitwe expatriates like me who are now resident in Lusaka! Keep it up!

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      Editor
      12 Mar 2011
      11:41pm

      Thanks.

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    Brian Barratt
    17 Jul 2011
    2:50am

    I was delighted to see you have used one of my photos, taken in the 1960s, and given full acknowledgement and a nice accompanying comment. I lived in Kitwe from 1961 to 1968 and have many fond memories. If you wish to use any more of my material from the NRZAM website where you found my photo, I would be pleased, as long as you acknowledge the source.

    In June 1968, the Minister of Education made a speech at the opening of a new State Publishing warehouse complex. Much to my surprise, he thanked ‘Mr Brian Barratt…whose services to this country are very much appreciated by my officials and myself.’

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      Editor
      30 Jul 2011
      1:47am

      Brian,
      We have you to thank for the wonderful photos of Kitwe. We like them so much we made them into a slide show.
      We value your contribution.

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    Michele Burstein nee Hearns
    3 Mar 2017
    11:29am

    I would so love to know where I can get some photos of Kitwe from the 50 and early 60s. I was born in the Nkana Mine Hospital – Dad was a mine captain at the Chingola mine – and emigrated to New Zealand when I was 12 with my parents. I have no photos of my birthplace but really vivid memories of Mindoro Dam, of the town centre, the golf club, my primary schools and Kitwe Girls High where I had just started before we left Kitwe. If you could help at all I would be so grateful.

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      JS
      4 Mar 2017
      5:29am

      Hi Michele, One of the best places I’ve found is the Great North Road website: http://www.greatnorthroad.org/
      It was last updated in 2015 but it is a treasure trove of photos and shared memories.
      If you do have any photos you would like to share here, it will be really great to have them.

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        Debra Oliver
        11 Nov 2022
        9:57am

        Hi,
        Came across website, and thought also share. I was also born at the Nkana Hospital in 1957. My father worked at the copper mine too. I have a picture of the “Nkana hospital” back then which I would like to post.

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      Debra Oliver
      11 Nov 2022
      10:12am

      Hi Michele,
      Was also born at the Nkana Hospital and have a picture.
      Can you send me your email address and I will send it to you.

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    Michele née Hearns
    1 Mar 2017
    6:57am

    Thank you for this. I was born in the Nkana Mine Hospital (Dad was a mine captain at the copper mine) and have no pictures of the place where I was born and spent the first 12 years of my life.

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    Eddie Goldschagg
    23 May 2018
    9:57am

    Fantastic to see these pictures! I worked for Anglo American in Leslie Pollak House. Lived in N’kana/Kitwe for 15 years. Got married in Kitwe and my two children born in N’kana Hospital. Thank you for posting these reminder pictures

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    JS
    23 May 2018
    9:20am

    Hi Eddie,
    We’re glad you found these photos of value.

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    Eddie Goldschagg
    23 May 2018
    9:12am

    My I correct you Michele, it is the MINDOLA dam. We often fished there, needless to say – we hardly caught anything worthwhile! My two children were also born in the N’kana Hospital and I had my appendix taken out there! PS. Michelle it is the MINDOLA dam!

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