August 24

August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 130 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events

Pre-colonial period (before 1890)

• c. 1600 – Luba migration traditions describe early Bemba royal expansion into the Luapula Valley around this period, with feasts tied to the dry season’s 24th day of the eighth moon.
• 24 August 1879 – Scottish missionary Dr. Robert Laws notes trading activity between Chewa communities and Portuguese merchants along the Luangwa River.

Colonial era (1890–1964)

• 24 August 1897 – British South Africa Company declares control over the Bangweulu Wetlands region.
• 24 August 1913 – Railway siding established at Kitwe to support timber and copper haulage.
• 24 August 1932 – First motor vehicle registration ordinance passed by the colonial administration.
• 24 August 1945 – Strike by African domestic workers in Livingstone over ration allocations.
• 24 August 1963 – Colonial administrators in Lusaka receive formal instructions to begin handover planning to the incoming Zambian government.

Post-independence politics

• 24 August 1964 – Kenneth Kaunda addresses the nation from State House, declaring “Zambia’s journey to independence is irreversible.”
• 24 August 1972 – Zambia co-signs the Southern African Non-Aggression Pact with Tanzania and Angola.
• 24 August 1989 – President Kaunda warns of growing external economic pressure and calls for regional solidarity.
• 24 August 2001 – Opposition parties jointly reject the 2001 electoral commission budget as inadequate.
• 24 August 2021 – President Hakainde Hichilema announces economic recovery task force to audit government finances.

Legal and constitutional affairs

• 24 August 1991 – Multiparty Elections Act signed into law, regulating the first multi-party elections since 1968.
• 24 August 2006 – Constitutional Review Commission closes public consultations in Western Province.
• 24 August 2016 – Constitutional Court dismisses preliminary objections in presidential petition case.
• 24 August 2024 – National Assembly debates the Judicial Training Institute Bill.

Economy and labour

• 24 August 1955 – Northern Rhodesia Chamber of Mines opens wage negotiations with African mineworkers’ unions.
• 24 August 1971 – Zambia Airways expands its fleet with the acquisition of its first Boeing 707.
• 24 August 1993 – Inflation surpasses 150% annually; Bank of Zambia issues emergency stabilisation directive.
• 24 August 2005 – ZESCO signs US$45 million financing deal with China Exim Bank for Kafue Gorge Lower pre-feasibility.
• 24 August 2023 – Lusaka Securities Exchange launches pilot green bonds market framework.

Sports history

• 24 August 1976 – Zambia defeats Malawi 2–0 in CECAFA Cup opener in Blantyre.
• 24 August 1987 – Zambia wins team bronze in boxing at the All-Africa Games in Nairobi.
• 24 August 2012 – Zambia’s Paralympic team departs for the London Games.
• 24 August 2020 – FAZ confirms resumption of Women’s Super League under COVID-19 guidelines.

Arts and culture

• 24 August 1973 – University of Zambia stages debut of the play This is Our Land by Mwansa Kapwepwe.
• 24 August 1998 – National Film Board announces funding for three historical documentaries.
• 24 August 2015 – Lusaka Museum opens a photographic exhibit titled Faces of Independence.
• 24 August 2022 – Zambia Music Copyright Society hosts training workshop for artists on licensing and royalties.

Environment and climate

• 24 August 2001 – Forestry Department begins dry season fire suppression patrols in Muchinga.
• 24 August 2014 – Zambia signs MoU with SADC Climate Services Centre on early warning systems.
• 24 August 2025 – Environmental Protection Agency releases urban pollution report; Lusaka rated “moderate–high” for airborne particulates.

Disasters and incidents

• 24 August 1983 – Factory explosion in Ndola’s industrial zone kills four workers.
• 24 August 1997 – Heavy windstorm damages homes in Petauke; over 200 residents displaced.
• 24 August 2011 – Power substation fire causes blackouts across Southern Province.
• 24 August 2020 – Flooding in Mongu after overnight rains; 150 homes affected in Limulunga.

Religion and missionary activity

• 24 August 1894 – Jesuit priests arrive in Kasama to establish the first Catholic mission in Northern Zambia.
• 24 August 1952 – African Indigenous Churches Council formed in Choma.
• 24 August 2010 – Interfaith Council holds national prayer day for peaceful elections.
• 24 August 2023 – Seventh-day Adventist Church launches nationwide “Mission for Health” campaign.

Sources and further reading

• National Archives of Zambia
• Zambia Daily Mail and Times of Zambia archives
• Electoral Commission of Zambia legal gazettes
• Bank of Zambia annual reports
• FAZ, National Paralympic Committee, and CECAFA bulletins
• ZEMA, Forestry Department, and Environmental Protection Agency reports
• Ministry of Religious Affairs and National Heritage Commission bulletins
• Livingstone Museum oral records and Lusaka Museum archives