The educational facilities in Lusaka are both large employers and producers of skilled labour for Lusaka and the rest of the country. It seems as though between 70-80 percent of the population of Lusaka are currently receiving primary education (perhaps even higher). There are close to a dozen secondary schools operating in Lusaka of varying quality, although the quality of education will be more uniform as the effect of the abolition of fee paying institutions (1969?) becomes more apparent.

The two most important centres of higher education are the University of Zambia (UNIZA) and the Evelyn Hone College of Further Education. In both of these institutions the problems of staffing is very acute. In the case of Evelyn Hone College, with approximately 700 students approximately 85% of the faculty members are expatriates. In the case of the University with an undergraduate programme of 900 students in its sixth year of operation only between 8 and 10 members of staff out of a total of 250 members are Zambians.

In discussing the situation in Lusaka as in the rest of the country it is important to note the continued dependence upon Southern Africa both with regard to ownership of major business and industry (several INDECO relationships, including the mines and ZOK supermarkets, for example are in effect Zambia government/South African private industry partnerships) and with regard to imports. South African products are still widely in evidence as to a lesser extent are some Rhodesian products, especially in pharmaceutical products. South African timed fruits and vegetables are especially in evidence as are South African wines. South African products are very often cheaper than other competitive products, thus allowing them to compete favorably. This is also true of much technical equipment.

Most of the South African newspapers, both black and white are readily available in Lusaka. Many of the smaller shops and hotels are owned by Europeans of Southern African origin. Telephone lines, the rail use, and the highways (including a luxury bus service from the copperbelt) all connect Lusaka and Zambia to the south. (Bulawayo, Salisbury, Johannesburg, and Capetown) though direct flights to southern Africa have stopped, it is quite easy to fly via Blantyre, Malawi.

In talking to volunteers and others in Lusaka much is heard of the lack of a cultural life in the area. The complaint “the copperbelt has it all” is often heard. The feeling is that it is much more limited in Lusaka than in any of the East African capitals. There is one first class movie theatre and two second class (and informal segregation patterns seem to be in evidence here. There are two live theatres, the open air theatre at Chikukwa operated by the University and the Lusaka players, which still is largely an expatriate amateur theatre. In addition there are occasional Friday evening concerts throughout the city.