Kabwe Town Is At The Junction To All Parts Of The Country

Background

The Town of Kabwe situated mid -way between Lusaka (130 km) and Ndola (about 170 km) is now a transit town.

From a very profitable zinc and lead mining town, the town is now a transit point for people going to the north or south of the country. Lead and zinc deposits were discovered in 1902.

Originally the town was known as Broken Hill, named after a similar mine in Australia. The mine became one of the biggest mines before the advent of copper mines on the Copperbelt. It has a population of 233, 197 (as of 1999) and happens to be the capital of the central province. The broken hill town became known as Kabwe in 1966. Fossil bones (skull) and primitive implements were discovered in 1921 during mining operations. The bones became known as Rhodesian man or Broken hill man.

The mine is now being used by small scale miners with no capacity to run it on a full scale basis. These miners are extracting metals from old tailings in what has been found to be one of the worst polluted places in the world, mostly because of heavy metals like lead and zinc.

Transport

The town is located at a junction to all parts of the country and the surrounding countries. The Railway Systems of Zambia (R.S.Z.) runs both freight and passenger services to Lusaka and beyond and the Copperbelt region. The railway line reached Broken hill in 1906 and set its base there where it’s still based today. The line goes further into neighboring Democratic Republic Of Congo (DRC) through the copperbelt province. Apart from being on the line of rail, the town lies on the Great North Road as well.

Industries and Agriculture

The town suffered an economic decline due to the closure of the mines. However, some industries survived the downturn including the pharmaceuticals, cotton ginning, milling and tanning industries. The other industry of notable importance was the textile joint venture between Zambia and the Chinese which was doing well until 2nd February 2008 when the project was discontinued.

Due to the town’s proximity to the ready markets and the availability of transport, commercial farming thrives in the surrounding areas of the town.

ACCOMODATION

Tuskers Hotel

This is the main hotel in town. Situated right within town, on the southern part, the Tuskers Hotel has 35 well kept rooms each with a TV. It’s located on the corner of Buntungwa Street and Freedom way.

Phone: 05 222076/7

Email: tuskers@zamnet.zm

Hotel Horizon

The Horizon offers the basics in accommodation facilities but on the cheaper side. It’s found on the corner of Independence Avenue and Buntungwa Street.

Phone: 02 223398

Kabwe Lodge

The lodge is a comfortable option for a stop over on your way to the copper belt or Lusaka. All the 14 rooms have en suite bathrooms, with Satellite TV. The restaurant has grill and Ala Carte and a set menu. You can quench your thirst in the Cocktail bar. The lodge also provides facilities for conferences and meetings.

Phone/fax; 05224297