A Centennial Celebration at Victoria Falls Bridge, Zambia

On April 22, a threesome officiated at a centennial celebration! From Zambia came Alice Simango, the Minister of Southern Province and Joseph Punyuka, the mayor of Livingstone town. Nkosilathi Giyana, the mayor of Victoria Falls town, represented Zimbabwe. The ceremony was for the Victoria Falls Bridge centennial celebrations, which is part of the “Visit Zambia 2005” campaign that kicked off in December 2004.

The Victoria Falls Bridge was built by Cleveland Bridge Company of Darlington England. It was designed by Sir Douglas Fox, a knight.

Why the centennial celebrations?

...Because Livingstone town was established in 1905, that is 100 years ago. The Victoria Falls Bridge was completed in April of 1905, that’s a 100 years ago. It was officially commissioned on September 12, 1905, still a hundred years ago.

Now add a winner! Dr David Livingatone, the famous Scottish missionary, explorer, etc., was the first white man to site the waterfalls locally known as Mosi-oa-Tunya, laterally translated to “the smoke that thunders.” This was on November 16, 1855, 150 years ago. Dr Livingstone named the falls after Queen Victoria of England. So it’s a centennial and 150 years memorial celebrations!

Who is organizing this? Another threesome! The Zambia National Tourist Board, the National Heritage Conservation Commission, and the Livingstone Tourism Association. These constitute the “Visit Zambia 2005” campaign . It’s a chain of events put together to commemorate a centennial and 150 years.