Mpezeni Hall built in honour of Dag Hammaskjoeld
Published On June 10, 2015 » 2408 Views» By Administrator Times » Latest News, Stories
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• This community hall in Chifubu Township in Ndola named in honour of Hammarskjoeld was a tourist attraction in past years.  Picture by MUNAMBEZA MUWANEI

• This community hall in Chifubu Township in Ndola named in honour of Hammarskjoeld was a tourist attraction in past years.
Picture by MUNAMBEZA MUWANEI

By MUNAMBEZA MUWANEI –

AFTER United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjoeld died in a plane crash in Ndola’s Chichele plantation about 54 years ago, a number of buildings were constructed and named in his honour.
The structures included Dag Hammarskjoeld Stadium, which has since been demolished and plans to reconstruct another one have not materialised.
The road leading to Dag Hammarskjoeld Stadium, which was a household name in the city of Ndola, was named after the fallen UN secretary general, who was on a peace mission.
There is a school in Ndola named after Dag Hammarskjoeld, while the crash site is also named after him.
In Chifubu Township, located about 12 kilometres from the crash site, a community hall was named in honour of Hammarskjoeld.
The community hall has a unique architectural design which is still in existence, but it was later given the name Mpezeni because before the structure was built, there was a recreation centre that went by the name of Mpezeni and is now the council library.
The hall was named Dag Hall in the mid-1960s according to some locals in the area, and it hosted many activities.
Despite being in a dilapidated state, its unique shape of a hat cannot be missed by anyone visiting the area.
A senior citizen who grew up in Chifubu told the Copperbelt Times that the hall became a tourist attraction because of its appearance.
Boniface Kanyanta, who grew up in the area, said the shape of the structure represented the hat Dag Hammarskjoeld wore.
“As you can see it has a shape of a hat. This hall was formerly called Dag Hammarskjoeld, but it was renamed Mpezeni because there was a cinema hall which is now the council library and was called Mpezeni,” Mr Kanyanta said.
Another resident, Maxwell Zulu said the hall was popular in the past because of its unique design.
“That time the memory of the plane crash was still fresh and any mention of Dag Hammarskjoeld attracted onlookers to the hall,” he said.
The name could have changed, but Mpezeni Hall could still be nurtured as a tourist attraction in Ndola.

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