A BRIEF HISTORY BEHIND THE NEW NATHAN CHANDA POLICE POST
By Don Kunda Luchanga
The new Nathan Chanda Police Post started in a container which was donated by Roan Antelope Mining Corporation Plc (RAMCOZ) in 2000.
The donation of the container was necessitated by the community outcry due to an increase in criminal activities such as stealing of merchandise in Roan market, violence, burglary, sabotage of Zesco installations and other related activities within the community of Roan township.
It was at this point that the then major corporating partner, Roan Antelope Mining Corporation of Zambia Plc (RAMCOZ) through it’s Corporate Social Responsibility came to the aid of the community and donated the container which was then modified to provide for a temporal compulsory holding cell and a reception by Zambia Police.
Fast forward in 2012, Cllr Nathan Chanda, was elected as Councillor for Lumumba Ward 17, and subsequently voted as Mayor of Luanshya at a age of 25; breaking history as the youngest mayor ever in the history of Luanshya.
When he assumed office of Luanshya Mayor, Cllr Nathan Chanda realized that the population of Lumumba Ward 17 and Roan Township in general had grown significantly, and therefore, saw the need to construct another police post to help curb the increasing rise of reported criminal activities around the market and in the community as a whole at the time.
Arising from the foregoing, the mayor expeditiously engaged the local authority to seek land upon which the police post would be constructed.
A few months later land was identified by the local authority and accordingly to Lumumba Ward Development Committee for the construction of the police post.
Within the same year, the project was implemented by the Lumumba Ward Development Committee in conjunction with the His Worship Nathan Chanda.
FUNDING OF THE PROJECT:
The construction of Nathan Chanda Police Post was solely funded by the current Luanshya Mayor, His Worship Nathan Chanda using personal resources.
However, the mayor along the way run out of resources and decided to engage a corporating partner, CNMC-Luanshya Copper Mines Plc (CLM), who unhesitatingly took over the works and completed the structure.
Meaning, therefore, that the project was jointly funded by His Worship the Mayor of Luanshya, CNMC-Luanshya Copper Mines through it’s Corporate Social Responsibility and CNMC-Luanshya Copper Mines which contributed more than half of the total cost of the project.
NAMING OF THE POLICE POST:
In coming with the most suitable name for the police post, Lumumba Ward Development Committee after a tedious series of seatings unanimously resolved to name the new police post after the current Mayor of Luanshya, His Worship Nathan Chanda.
However, when mayor Chanda got wind of this development, he vehemently objected the idea citing volatile and animosity in the political atmosphere of Luanshya in which even projects meant to benefit the same residents are unnecessarily politicised.
Nonetheless, the seemingly determined and decided Ward Development Committee discreetly applied to Zambia Police Command for the approval of the name “Nathan Chanda Police Post”.
The mayor was only informed of the approval of name by Zambia Police by the Ward Development Committee on the eve of the official opening and subsequent hand over.
RECOGNITION OF OTHER UNSUNG HEROES:
During the official opening and subsequent handing over of the police post to government, His Worship Nathan Chanda reassured residents that all those that have served the people of Luanshya in different portfolios, whether dead or alive, will still be recognized in a similar manner through various projects that government and the local authority have continued to construct in the district.
“In my initial speech, I thanked the Ward Development Committee for naming the police post after me. Indeed this is how it should be because from time immemorial, we have been wrongly conditioned to only appreciate someone when they are dead and then give very long speeches at the burial. For example, we are building a first ever school in Chisokone which I would personally like to be named after our fallen heroes such as Late Cameroon Pwele and others,” said Mr. Chanda.
In my conclusion, starting from the time the community started using the container as police post, Roan Constituency has had six members of parliament none of whom ever bothered to rectify the situation. These former and present members of parliament include, Hon Vernon Mwaanga, Late Cameroon Pwele, Hon Joseph Chilambwe, Hon Chishimba Kambwili and last but not the least the incumbent Hon Joseph Chishala.
I submit!