September 5

September 5 is the 248th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 118 days remaining until the end of the year.

Pre-Colonial (Before 1889)

• c. 5 September 1820 – Oral traditions record that the Ngoni chief Zwangendaba leads his people across the Luangwa Valley, establishing a temporary settlement in what is now Eastern Province.

Colonial (1889–1963)

• 5 September 1893 – The British South Africa Company officially establishes a trading post at Fort Jameson (now Chipata), formalizing colonial administration in eastern Zambia.
• 5 September 1914 – Northern Rhodesia contributes troops to the First World War campaign in German East Africa, marking the colony’s first involvement in global conflicts.
• 5 September 1930 – Copperbelt miners hold a strike demanding wage increases; local colonial authorities intervene to mediate.
• 5 September 1947 – The Northern Rhodesian Legislative Council debates the introduction of compulsory primary education; the motion passes with limited implementation.

Post-Independence (1964–Present)

• 5 September 1966 – President Kenneth Kaunda inaugurates the Kafue Hydro Power Station, expanding national electricity supply.
• 5 September 1975 – The Zambia National Service (ZNS) launches its first agricultural training program at Makeni Farm.
• 5 September 1991 – The Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) holds mass rallies in Lusaka ahead of the October general elections.
• 5 September 2000 – Zambia signs an international agreement on wildlife conservation, contributing to transboundary efforts in southern Africa.
• 5 September 2015 – President Edgar Lungu opens the new Lusaka Convention Centre, a national hub for conferences and exhibitions.
• 5 September 2020 – Zambia records 980 new COVID-19 cases, continuing the Delta wave surge in urban centers.

Births & Deaths

• Death: 5 September 1998 – Notable Zambian political activist John Zimba passes away in Lusaka.
• Birth: 5 September 1972 – Zambian footballer Chanda Bwalya (national team striker, 1990s) is born.