Monze

Named after Chief Monze, the spiritual leader of the Tonga people, the small town of Monze lies 20 km east of Chisekese. It has approximately 15 000 residents and serves as the administrative centre for the district. The fertile soil in the area surrounding the town make this one of the country’s foremost crop producing regions. Although low rainfall has led to sub-par crops in recent years, north of the town massive grain silos lay waiting for the next good season.

Chief Monze’s Royal Village, Gonde, is about 10 km south of Monze and it’s here that the annual Lwiindi Ceremony takes place, usually during the first week of July. The ceremony is the main festival of the Tonga people and gives thanks for the first harvest of the year. David Livingstone, during his second expedition in Africa in 1855, stayed briefly at Gonde as a guest of Chief Monze.

One of the first police posts in Northern Rhodesia was established in 1898 at Fort Monze, 16 km southwest of town. The graves of six troops stationed at Fort Monze who died of black-water fever, can be seen in the Fort Monze cemetery. Despite it being a national monument, the site of fort is seldom visited (all that remains are ruins and a plaque) and the overgrown track is only accessible with an off-road vehicle in the dry season.

ACCOMMODATION:
Accommodation here is mainly in the form of local guesthouses, aimed at business travellers.

For campers, the Moorings Campsite is situated on a working farm, 10 km north of Monze. Camping here is on lush green lawns under shady trees and there’s a restaurant and bar on the premises. On the farm you’ll also find the Malambo Women’s Craft Centre where you can buy embroidered mats and Tonga baskets. The farm offers scenic walking trails, a visit to the farmworkers village and excellent birding - with more than 280 species identified on the farm.

AIR ACCESS:
The nearest registered airstrip is the airstrip outside Musikili school on the farm owned by Crooks Brothers, Garner farm. That is 50km's from The Moorings Campsite. There is a new one on a farm called Frogmore but may not be registered yet, about 40Km away from The Moorings Campsite.

EMERGENCY SERVICES:
Tow-in services: Try: +27(0)97 473 7848 / +260(0)96 676 1647 (Based in Lusaka).

The Monze Mission hospital was established in 1964, and has developed into a general hospital managed by the Sisters of the Holy Spirit.

NOTE: Visitors to Zambia are advised to have their own personal travel insurance. Local police, hospitals, clinics etc. cannot be relied upon.
Please note that any emergency numbers indicated on our data will be for the local police, hospital, clinic etc. and most of the times, don't work. Many tourism sites show the numbers like 999 for police, they often don’t work.

If you have a medical problem when in Zambia, Specialty Emergency Services has a Call Centre (24 hours). Phone them on 737. This company has offices in Livingstone, Lusaka and Kitwe. But they will fly anywhere to assist if visitors have the right insurance. If you want to check your insurance, contact SES on [email protected]. (http://ses-zambia.com/). (2019).

MECHANICAL REPAIR:
The best reliable auto repair shops would be found in Mazabuka (Autoworld). In Monze all auto repairs are done at small businesses or street mechanics. There are a number of local businesses that are used for simple repairs and maintenance.

For auto spares there are a number of small shops, Nchipumina Auto Spares is useful in that they can point you in the direction of other local dealers and repairmen, if they don't have what is needed.

The Puma filling station is also an auto spares shop, they sell oils, lubricants, batteries and they have a small selection of tyres.

SHOPS & SERVICES:
There are fuel stations and ATMs in town, plus a Choppies Superstore and a traditional market.

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