Zambia is considering a proposal to move its capital from fast-developing Lusaka to a nearly uninhabited marshland district in the centre of the country. National planning and development minister Lucky Mulusa said today that the city is over-crowded, and that the sensible thing to do is move the capital out.
Mulusa said that President Edgar Lungu’s cabinet is due to discuss the move to Ngabwe district within the next two weeks. Ngabwe is a little-known rural district in Zambia’s Central Province, close to Kabwe town and about 120km – or two hours’ drive – north of Lusaka.
It is often cut off when roads flood during rains, but Mulusa said the district is well-positioned in the middle of the country. He added that Ngabwe will be planned to ensure it can host regional bodies such as the African Union and the Southern African Development Community.
Lusaka has been the national capital since 1935 when Zambia was known as Northern Rhodesia under British colonial rule.
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