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General Information

Luanshya is a town situated in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. It is located in the Northern parts of the country and has a total population of approximately 120 000 inhabitants. The town was founded in the 20th century by William Collier when he found copper deposits in the area. This town thrived on copper mining activities, but has seen a decrease since most of the copper has been depleted.

Luanshya is located near the town of Ndola and has an airport for those who would like to visit the area via air transport. The airport has since been extended and has created a flying club (Not anymore. The airstrip land has since been sold out to a local developer, antelope Milling Company limited. The company is promising to build a multimillion shopping mall).

Luanshya is a town in Zambia, in the Copperbelt Province near Ndola. It has a population of 117,579 (2008 census). The name Luanshya is the Lamba word which means a place of entelope, inshya is antelope and the area was surrounded with the entelope family and the reason the name was given which is related to the antelope family.

The city is the birthplace of folk singer, John Edmond, writer A. C. Grayling and former Vice President of Zambia the late George Kunda.

Accommodation in Luanshya

The town of Luanshya has a great variety of tourist accommodation options for those who would like to stay the night. There are many bed and breakfasts, hotels, self-catering units and camping facilities in the area. Please view our accommodation directory for a full list of place to stay in the area.

Activities in Luanshya

Luanshya offers some outdoor and natural activities and attractions for those visiting the

area. The whole family can be entertained when in this town.

Things to do in Luanshya include the following:

Hiking and Biking Trails

Local Market

Mine Tours

Shopping

Businesses

The town of Luanshya has a great business community thanks to its mining industry. There are stalls, shops, souvenirs, local products and restaurants in the vicinity. Please go to our business community for more information on all the businesses you can find in the region.

Myth

A popular myth is that there was a river snake which was held responsible for the floodings and deaths during the early development work at Roan Antelope Mine. Roan’s workers suffered such high illness and mortality rates from malaria and blackwater fever, as well as from typhus, dysentery and pneumonia, that the mine had great difficulty keeping African laborers from one week to the next. It became common knowledge that the local Lamba attributed these problems to a giant snake, which wriggled along the river and mine shafts causing floodings and cave-ins, and spewing poisonous gas. By 1928, construction of the plant and township had begun soon after reserves of approximately 20 million tons of copper had been found.

The flooding problem was solved when the Luanshya River was channeled and its swamps drained during the 1929-32 anti-malaria campaign.The death rate from the epidemic that occurred during the early days of mine development earned the town the nickname of Valley of Death which some people latched on to as the real meaning. However, Luanshya means river of antelopes due to the many antelopes that were found in the area before mining settlements drove them away. Places thus named are Luanshya River, Luanshya Stream, Luanshya Town and Luanshya Township. The name for the Town is said to have been derived from the Luanshia mining claim. Three mining claims were named after antelopes, Rietbok, Roan Antelope and Luanshia Mining Claims. For those who are confused about the meaning of the name it is better to think of it in this manner “Once upon a time there was a river and stream which derived its name from the antelopes that would go to drink from there. Then some foreigners came and found some copper and started mining works on the land. In the style of the local chiefs, they also adopted the two animal totems and named their mine after the antelopes, roan being the mpelembe, nsha being the duiker. They amassed a lot of wealth from the mine and lived happily ever after.”

Education

Luanshya is the home base of a Technical and Vocational Teacher’s College (TVTC) from which a generation of the country’s teachers in technical subjects have graduated. The town also has Luanshya Technical and Business College (LTBC) offering technical subjects to tertiary students. LTBC and TVTC are just separated by fence, and across the road to the West is Da Gama school, one of the only school on the Copperbelt Province for people with disabilities, is managed by nuns and named after the famous Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama.

Before Independence, schools were racially segregated, with separate schooling for Europeans, Asians, “Cape Coloureds” and Africans. There were two schools for white pupils: Luanshya Primary School which is now called Central and Luanshya High School. There was Asoka Primary School for Asians, later named Gandhi, near the Second Class Trade area. For Africans there was Arusha Primary School in Mikomfwa, Mwaiseni in Mpatamatu and Fisansa in Roan townships.

After independence, more schools were built. In Mikomfwa, new schools were Ndelela, East School now Twatemwa, West School now Muchinshi, Mipundu, Mikomfwa and Arusha was later renamed Bwananyina. In Roan Township there were Roan, Chaisa, Makoma, Kafubu primary schools, while Mpatamatu had Mpatamatu, Nkulumashiba, Nkambo, primay schools. Luanshya township had Rivercross, Harrison now Mpelembe, Convent now known as Buteko.

SECONDARY SCHOOLS: Mikomfwa township had no secondary school, Luanshya township had Luanshya High School for boys and Luanshya Girls High school, Roan township had only Roan Antelope and Mpatamatu township had Mpatamatu secondary.

Economic Activity

During Zambia’s painful privatisation period, thousands of miners were laid off by the Indian run RAMCOZ. During the Presidency of Levy Mwanawasa, the town was revived when Luanshya Copper Mines resumed full scale mining production and hired thousands of people, although that was to be short lived when the mining operator ran into financial problems.

The mines were quickly taken over by a Chinese firm. The Chinese workforce has been accused of gross negligence and flouting Labour laws.

In 2011 three Chinese workers were arrested for allegedly molesting local girls by taking advantage of their deprived economic status. Early in 2012, then Minister for Labour and Sport and area Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili made a surprise stop over at the multimillion-dollar Mulyashi Mine Project only to be turned away by its Chinese employers.

While the opening of the mines may have brought some social problems to Luanshya, employment rates have risen and revived the town. The population has been steadily increasing and more economic activities are visible such as the installation of a new Soya Solvent extraction plant, as well as the extension of a well known milling company. The agricultural sector is growing as small scale farmers are increasing their crop outputs to cope with growing demand. Main crops that are harvested include maize, wheat, and soybeans.

The town has three hospitals:

• Roan General Hospital – acute care facility with emergency facilities
• Thomson Hospital – government district hospital
• Luanshya Hospital

Air

Luanshya Airport (ICAO: FLLA) is a small airstrip located in the eastern part of the town called Ndeke to mean “Air plane”. The airstrip is not currently operational and consists of a rough unmarked 4,199 foot landing strip. A flying club is located at the airstrip

The town is accessible by two airports:

• Ndola Airport in Ndola
• Southdowns Airport in Kitwe

Land

Luanshya is at the end of a spur road that comes off the main Ndola to Kitwe route. There are a few roads that connect Luanshya to other parts of Zambia. Being effectively in a cul-de-sac, there is virtually no passing traffic nor any associated trade.

Zambia Railways service to Luanshya was freight only, namely to service nearby copper mine with traffic to and from Ndola. The railway line from Luanshya to Ndola was vandalised by scrap metal dealers. At present Luanshya and Ndola are no-longer connected by a rail line. The copper mined from Luanshya is now transported by road to the outside market.

Many of the urban roads in Luanshya are named after trees and as such the initial letter of the Tree alphabetically are given the commonly used name of that road. Ie Datura Ave became D avenue. Eucalyptus Ave became E ave etc….Many of the roads are listed in alphabetical order so that A, B, C, D, E, F avenues are in alphabetical order and ran parallel with each other. The other groups of the alphabet are also grouped together in parallel lines H, G, J and l in a place called New Town although K, O, P, W avenue is right on the other side of town and ran parallel to N avenue.

Notable peopleEditFolk singer John Edmond was born in Luanshya on 18 November 1936. Philosopher Anthony Clifford Grayling was born in Luanshya on 3 April 1949.

External links

• Luanshya Facebook group
• Website with history & photographs of Luanshya

Luanshya was founded in the early part of the 20th century after two prospector/explorer, William Collier shot and killed a Roan Antelope on the banks of the Luanshya River, discovering a copper deposit in the process. The antelope fell to the ground, its head resting on a rock where an exposed seam of copper ore was visible. The mining company eventually formed to exploit Collier’s find was named “Roan Antelope Copper Mines Ltd”.

For most of the 20th century, copper was mined in great quantities at Luanshya but towards the end of the century, mining there became increasingly uneconomic, causing a severe recession in the town. There is still a fair amount of copper underground. Whether the town sees a revival in its fortunes will depend on how efficiently the copper is extracted and sold.

The city is the birthplace of folk singer, John Edmond, writer A. C. Grayling and former Vice President of Zambia, the late George Kunda.

The Roan Antelope Rugby Club in Luanshya formerly held the record for highest goal posts in the world, which were recognised by the Guinness Book of Records. They were 110 ft, 6 inches high..

References

1. ^ Cotton, Fran (Ed.) (1984) The Book of Rugby Disasters & Bizarre Records. Compiled by Chris Rhys. London. Century Publishing. ISBN 0-7126-0911-3, p107
2. ^ Siegel, Brian (14–15 April 2000). “Water Spirits and Mermaids: The Copperbelt Case”. Spearpoint 1937:3-8; Watson 1953:13-14, 92-93: 3–8.
3. ^ Coleman, Robert L (1971). Book. Manchester University, Augustus M Kelly. p. 46. ISBN 0-7190-0419-5.
4. ^ http://www.lga-zambia.org.zm/LGAZ%20Information/LGAZ%20Materials/Council%20Contributions%201-08/2008-01%20Luanshya%20MC%201.pdf^{[permanent dead link]}
5. ^ “Zambia Advisor”.

Kenny Mwiza’s Blog

its working life around 2025. What should Luanshya be doing in the meantime?

“The answer is economic diversification, and that can only happen with the right incentives and policies in place from central government,” says Kamanga. “There is a 10-year window of opportunity to get this right. Otherwise, when the mine closes, Luanshya will become a ghost town again. Businesses will close. People will leave. Livelihoods will be affected. And all the money presently being invested and spent here will have been wasted.”

This point is echoed by Simukondi Godwell, chairman of the Luanshya District Business Association. A body belonging to the Zambia Chamber of Small and Medium Business Associations, its members are mainly shop owners, contractors, suppliers, agro-businesses and market owners.

“Government needs to create the financial and tax incentives that will make Luanshya an attractive business destination in its own right,” says Godwell. “Once large, sustainable businesses are operating here, they will create countless opportunities for smaller businesses and suppliers to feed off.”

Like many of his colleagues in the Luanshya District Business Association, he sees agriculture as offering the most potential to investors. “We can develop agro-businesses here and feed the nation. What crop doesn’t grow in this region?”

Ultimately, says Godwill, a diversified Luanshya economy capable of outliving the closure of the mine comes down to political will on the part of government. “If there is political will, there won’t be a problem. We will grow. But with no political will, nothing will happen.”

The gauntlet has been thrown down. In the meantime, businesses continue to invest in Luanshya, people continue to move to the town, and CNMC Luanshya Copper Mines continues to produce copper for world markets

A CALL TO ALL LUANSHYA DISTRICT LEADERSHIP TO ENGAGE ITS RESIDENTS IN DEVELOPMENTAL ACTIVITIES AND ADVISORY INPUT.

Good evening luanshya.

A few days ago we visited our CBD just like we always do , taking photos of luanshya and showcasing its potential and areas that need Developmental attention.

Luanshya is a very beautiful and amazing place to live in and work but we still feel we need to do more to make luanshya more sustainable .

We ask the local authority to engage and work with us together with luanshya residents who feel the need to help Develop.

Let us brainstorm on how we can develop and Change luanshya and make it a better place to live in and work.

Much love ,
Kennedy Mwiza Mweetwa ❤️🇿🇲

Cc: Luanshya Mayor: Charles Mulenga
Cc : Luanshyaa central Member of parliament: Hon Lusale Simbao
Cc : Roan Member of Parliament: Joel Chibuye
Cc : Luanshya District Commissioner: Onesimus Ngonomo

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Luanshya My Town

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