Zambia World Wide

A brief summary of Kasane

In the sixties Kasane only had a handful of white families.

They were:-

• The Du Plessis and a Greek who owned shops in and around Kasane.
• A single agriculturist at the experimental farm.
• Mc Kenzie the Police Station Commander. The police station served as both immigration and customs office.
• Lolly Sussens who owned the Chobe Safari Lodge, a shop at Panda-ma-Tenga, and the ferry used to cross the Zambezi at Kazungulu. It was just big enough for a car or a Land Rover. Lolly was advised by the Zambian Immigration Post at Kazungulu when there was someone who wanted to make use of the ferry. Two staff members I remember was Dave Ward and the receptionist Christine.
• Mike Slowgrove the Game Warden. Part of his duties was to clear the runway in the game reserve of game. All aircraft before landing at Serendalas would circle over Kasane. This was to notify the Lodge and the game warden of their arrival. The landing strip was originally used by Witwatersrand Native Labour Association better known as Wenela. Wenela had a huge depot in Kasane. They would collect migrant workers for the gold mines in Jo’burg from Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Here they would undergo a medical and a crash course on mining. The workshop they had was really something. Drills, saws, welding and power generators etc. were all activated by a long shaft running through the workshop driven by one motor. If you wanted to use the welding plant you would simply slip a conveyor belt on a pulley which was attached to the shaft. When I arrived the depot had closed and all migrant workers went to Francistown. The Dakotas used by Wenela boasted with the best safety record. This record was shattered when the fuel supplier’s replacement in Francistown filled one of the aircraft with the incorrect fuel. The pilot Mr. Nightingale and all the crew members lost their lives shortly after take off during a routine test run. If we wanted to attend some event in the Transvaal Wenela would make one of their Dakotas available at a cost of 25 cents (2shillings and six pence). This was stamp duty on a redemption certificate.
• Ken Mompson was the only Wenela employee who remained in Kasane after they closed this depot down. If ever there was a white Twana it was Ken. He knew their language, their culture and there was nothing you could tell him of North West Botswana. He knew the Zambezi from Livingstone to Katima Mulilo like the palm of his hand. He piloted the pleasure boat Mosi Oa Tunja from Livingstone to the Chobe Lodge after they had purchased it from a company in Livingstone. He piloted the barge between Kasane and Katima Mulilo going via the Kasai channel for the S.A.Defence Force during their war with communism. The barge was used to transport vehicles, building materials etc. The barge carried so much freight back and forth that it was designed to uncouple its load and immediately recouple to a fully loaded container destined for the other end. Many a question was raised concerning the barge. It is believed that the Station Commander was transferred when he refused to stop his questioning concerning the barge.
• Pat Carr Hartley the Manager for Hunters Africa and two single professional hunters. On hunting my first elephant no more than two kilometers from the lodge I requested Pat to accompany me. The first thing he taught me was that I must never show that I am afraid. Believe me it was proven more than once to be the best information he could have given me.