ZAMBIA LETTERS, 24

14/07/2025

Packed my bag. Brought with me Fartyget Night by Duras, Rannsakningen by Weiss and Greek Lessons by Kang. Took a Yango to the airport. A man helped me with my bag and delivered it to the baggage claim. I tipped him 15 Kwacha.

The plane to Ndola was small and propeller-driven. The flight attendant was named Gloria. She served coffee and soft drinks during the short flight. After about an hour we arrived for landing.

The airport in Ndola felt cleaner and more modern than the one in Lusaka. The materials used in the interior decoration were more lavish. The landscape around the airport was beautiful. The horizon was low and lined with trees and the sky spread out above our heads.

I called my pickup. He sounded surprised. Are you already there? We are on our way and will arrive in 20 minutes. It took about an hour. He did not come alone but brought my contact, Mr. Mumba, a serious man who didn’t say much. I tried to start a conversation about what we could expect during my stay but it didn’t get very far. He just said, “So you want to see the housings, maybe, where people are living that are built over the mine shafts?”

Yes, that would be good.

The journey to Mufulira took over two hours and went through Kitwe, as they were construction work on the road. The landscape continued to be very beautiful. All the vegetation along the roadside was cut down and this created a bright and open impression. Something felt different to Lusaka. I realized it had to do with the light, how it fell over the land. The colors blurred and faded so that everything bathed in a romantic, sheer, shimmer.

When we drove into Kitwe, Mr. Mumba pointed out The Black Mountain. I was surprised to see that it was located inside the city. The facility is enormous and the slag towers over the entire community. The chimneys, too, are gigantic. They are wide at the base and gradually narrow as they rise upwards.

THE JUDGE

Mr. Witness

Were you inside the camp?

WITNESS 2

I once went along on the shunting machine

because there was something with the shipping documents

which had to be discussed

Right behind the entrance gate I got off

and went into the camp office

I almost didn't get out again

because I didn't have a passport

THE JUDGE

What did you see of the camp

WITNESS 2

Nothing

I was happy I made it out again

THE JUDGE

Did you see the chimneys at the end of the loading ramp

and the smoke and the flame of fire

WITNESS 2

Yes

I saw smoke

THE JUDGE

What were you thinking then?

WITNESS 2

I thought

it's the bakery

I had heard

that bread was baked there day and night

It was a big camp

Arrived at the lodge. It was hard to find because there were no signs on the wall. They didn't have many guests, probably because Mufulira is not a tourist resort and maybe also because the lodge was located outside the city. But I was given 150 square meters with two bathrooms, two bedrooms, a large living room and a good kitchen for a fair price. Everything was of good quality and kept clean. There were no insects and no dirt anywhere.

The driver came back after an hour and took me to Shoprite for dinner and breakfast. He was happy to come with me into the store and to join me when I was doing my shopping. I got the feeling that he wanted to be seen with me. He greeted everyone he saw and insisted on driving the shopping cart for me. He pushed it far too close all the time so that I couldn't reach the shelves I was looking for.

In addition to dinner, I bought wheat flour and newspapers, sponge brushes and a waterproof drinking bottle. This to make paper mache.

On the way back I saw people lining the road, carrying buckets and containers, waiting for the water truck. 

Wrote a bit.

Read Sangen om muligheten for å overleve.

Went to bed early.