Given the nature of comments that I received from readers of ‘I remember’ column I thought it would be opportune to give them a chance to be heard this week.
I was particularly touched by enquiries from a young lady in Solwezi who asked me for more information on her biological father, who happens to be a former colleague, Samu Zulu, about whom I wrote some few weeks ago.
The young lady seems to have been raised by her mother and she now wants to know more about her father’s background. I must say it is a shame that although Samu and I were great friends, at no time did we discuss our family affairs, including our places of origin, educational background, etc.
Like most people growing up along the line of rail, particularly on the Copperbelt, which attracted workers from all over the country and the world, such matters were secondary. They did not matter at all because what was primary was the comradeship – the love and spirit of oneness that prevailed.
In the face of this predicament, I replied her offering my apologies.
I also asked her to tell me what her mother must have told her concerning her father.
Dear Mr Mulenga,
My name is Nkole Zulu. I am also known to some as Nkole Thompson owning to my taking on my step fathers surname. I am the daughter of Samu Zulu and Chilufya Konie. I read your article on my father with interest. Of course all that you said was true but I only wish my sister and I could have had a chance to read it before it went to print. However, what is done is done.
I would like to get to know a little more about my father. Having grown up with a step father and my mother and only meeting Mr Zulu at the age of 16 I know there is so much I do not know about him. Did you know much about his parents?
Please do get in touch. I live in Solwezi, Zambia, and work for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Meheba refugee settlement.
Best regards, Nkole.
Upon receiving her above note, I got curious and asked Nkole to email me and explain where Samu and her mother met (if she knew anything), the following was her response:
Dear Mr Mulenga,
Thank you very much for getting back in touch. My mother and father met in Lusaka in 1984 my mum had just returned from the USA and my dad must have recently gotten back from New Zealand. My mum did not know of my father’s siblings or family but she met my dad via her sister ambassador Gwendoline Konie, who was running the Women’s Exclusive Magazine.
I would like to know anything about my dad. Where he grew up, any family members you mentioned a brother who died in an armed robbery; how did it happen?
Best regards,
Nkole.
I believe there are many children in Zambia like Nkole who have been raised by single mothers and would like know who their fathers are and where (if alive) they are domiciled at the moment.
As I indicated earlier it was a shame that despite having known and worked with Samu Zulu I did not have much information on my finger tips for my old friend’s daughter.
She is definitely a decent child who simply wants to know more about her father. In my opinion, she is genuine and she cannot be blamed for whatever happened between her parents.
So if anyone out there is able to help they should come forward without being seen to be violating other people’s constitutional rights to privacy.
On my part, I have in the meantime suggested to her names of some people, I thought, might be in a better position (than me) to give her the information she is looking for and which her mother does not have.
I also received comments on good old Sam Kampodza.
Dear Alfred,
Allow me to comment on your feature article headlined “Good Old Sam Sam “ was an all rounder, which appeared in the Saturday Times of Zambia of September 6, 2014. The article was right on and touching. It was a befitting tribute to one of Zambia’s prolific sports writers.
I am one of those journalists who greatly benefitted from ‘Old’ Sam’s wide experience when I worked for Zambia Daily Mail sports desk in Kitwe from 1976 to 1978.
I found Sam to be a friendly person and was fluent in English. Pity he is no more because the current generation would have also learnt a lot from his writing skills and professionalism. On my first day on the Daily Mail, I was reminded of Sam who literally knew of every sports contact in Kitwe, Chingola, Chililabombwe, Kalulushi and Chambeshi which were the areas of our operations.
Despite us being rivals, Sam was always on hand to share the teams’ line-ups if I happened to be late at the venues of the soccer games.
His analysis of the matches was second to none. His name will rank among Zambia’s greatest sports journalists.
To you Alfred, thanks for giving me my first-ever by-line (author’s name) in a newspaper which appeared in the Times of Zambia in 1976 when I interviewed National Football League (NFL) fixtures secretary Joel Somanje who, incidentally, was my boss at the Workmen’s Compensation Fund Control Board (now Worker’s Compensation Fund Control Board).
That by-line jump-started my sports journalism career. I remember how proud I was. Believing that I had acquired instant fame, I walked into a nearby pub, with the newspaper cutting in my pocket. Convinced some familiar faces in the pub would shout: “There comes Moses Walubita!”, having read the Times of Zambia, to my disappointment, none did shout.
However, there was no looking back and I decided to join the Zambia Daily Mail with Felix Nkhata who became the paper’s Bureau Chief in Ndola.
In short, the article on “Old Sam”, reminds the sports journalists of yesterday to recognise the contributions of those still living and our departed colleagues.
Sincerely, Moses Walubita
(Former Zambia Daily Mail sports editor).
Lusaka.
Comments: alfredmulenga777@gmail.com