By CHUSA SICHONE –

Every year on the 8th of March, Zambia joins the rest of the world in appreciating and recognising women during the International Women’s Day commemoration.
Women, despite their political affiliations, deserve commendation, not only on International Women’s Day, for the various roles they play at household and national levels.
Fifty-year-old Agnes Laima Ndhlovu recently made headlines after she was battered and bruised at Soweto Market in Lusaka.
The unfortunate incident is undoubtedly one of Ms Ndlhovu’s worst life experiences. The matter in question is currently before the courts of law.
This author bumped into Ms Ndhlovu at the Lusaka Magistrates Court complex on 27th February, 2015 for the first time and was received with a smile and handshake.
It was at that meeting that an appointment was made for an interview later that afternoon ahead of prior to the commemoration of the International Women’s Day.
Unfortunately the interview, which was scheduled to be held at the Times of Zambia offices in Lusaka could not take place as planned owing to Mrs Ndhlovu’s other pressing commitment(s) but she had the courtesy of apologizing and promised to avail herself the following day after attending church.
True to her word, Mrs Ndhlovu, accompanied by former Zambia National Maketeers Credit Association (ZANAMACA) Secretary General Conard Haanyanga, turned up later in the afternoon for the interview which spilled over into the evening.
The interview took longer than anticipated as it became apparent that Mrs Ndlhovu had a story to tell beyond the brutal attack at Soweto Market.
It so happens that Mrs Ndhlovu and her sons met their fate at Soweto Market where the 50-year-old has been a marketeer, supplying farm produce, since 1984.
By the mere mention that one is a marketeer in Zambia, the first thing that comes to one’s mind is that such a person is illiterate and poor.
That is not the case with Mrs Ndhlovu.
Mrs Ndhlovu is not an ordinary marketeer, as can be judged by her eloquence in English. She has a good command of the Queen’s language.
That can probably be attributed to her being of a humble education background. She attended school up to Grade 12.
Not only that, Mrs Ndhlovu happens to be the daughter to Godfrey Laima, the first Katuba Constituency Member of Parliament in the UNIP Government.
Mr Laima was one of the wealthiest people in Zambia during that time.
He was once the proprietor of Garden House Motel and owned a fleet of public service vehicles under a company called Twapenga Transport.
Mr Laima died in a road accident in 1980, two years after relocating to his farm in Lusaka West from Chilenje Township.
It was after his death that the Laima family’s wealth dwindled over the years, except for the farm house, which was later embroiled in a 26-year legal battle, which Mrs Ndlhovu explained at length.
“In a nutshell, the matter of the same property (Lusaka West farm) was in court for 26 years. We have finally gotten the farm back after 26 years. (Before that), we were staying in the servants’ quarter on the very farm.
“Imagine how we suffered and it was the last property which our father had. If that property was gone, it would have just been history that he was a rich man,” she said.
She did not want to explain how the wealth her father left was lost for fear of offending some individuals.
Mrs Ndhlovu, a first born daughter in a family of 12, could not even afford to go into tertiary education after she completed her Grade 12 after her father’s demise.
She attended primary school at St Patrick’s, Mansa Secondary School, Matero Girls Secondary and Leopards Hill Secondary school before completing her Form Five (now Grade 12) at Chief Lituli school. She hardly lasted at certain schools owing to high levels of mockery.
It was after failing to go for tertiary education that she and her sister became traders in 1984, a year before she got married to Emmanuel Ndlhovu, an engineer by profession, with whom she has five children and two grandchildren.
Despite being highly vocal in pushing for the construction of the New Soweto market and having been a trader for 31 years, Mrs Ndhlovu does not operate from a shop.
“What it is at Soweto market is that we the wholesalers don’t have a permanent place. Where we just find a vacant place, we park our vehicle and start selling.
“We normally wake up at 04:00 hours then at 04:30 or latest 05:00 hours, we are at the market,” Mrs Ndhlovu said.
Some traders coming from outside Lusaka arrive at Soweto market around midnight, 01:00 hours or 02:00 hours depending on the source of their merchandise.
When selling her chickens Mrs Ndhlovu – together with her sons and nephews – get to Soweto market as early as 02: 00 hours and are expected to leave by 08:00 hours to leave room for other traders.
Ms Ndhlovu cautions chicken traders going to sell at Soweto market for the first time to be careful as they risk having their chickens stolen. She says vehicles carrying the chickens are usually mobbed by traders such that it is difficult to monitor all the people trying to buy the chickens.
She said there are times were some chicken traders lose as many as 150 chickens out of, say, 200 through thefts if they are not vigilant, adding that it is for that reason that she is usually accompanied by her sons and nephews for them to keep watch from all angles.
Before turning into a farmer several years ago, Mrs Ndhlovu, including other market traders, used to jump on public transport to go and order her produce for resale at Soweto market from places like Mongu, Chipata, Mazabuka, among others.
Now that she is a farmer and owns a truck, Mrs Ndhlovu sells crops she grows at her farm, with the major ones being tomatoes, cabbages and fresh maize. She has, however, continued to outsource crops she is unable to grow at her farm.
Mrs Ndhlovu usually sells her products on credit to her fellow traders and she expects to get her money and returns from them once they resale their supplies the same day.
“It hasn’t been easy at all. You know, as women we are not even enjoying being market traders and yet we contribute to the economy of our country,” she lamented.
Ms Ndhlovu is not only renowned to be brave and outspoken at Soweto market. Buts she is also a generous person with a motherly heart who assists those who approach her seeking help at the market.
Having been a mark trader for a long time, Ms Ndhlovu has firsthand information on what that business entails and how to cleanse markets and bus stations to make them conducive for traders, a majority of them being women.
She believes creating market boards by Government through the ministry of Local Government and Housing will restore sanity in markets and bus stations as levies will be going to the local authorities instead of individuals.
The vast experience she has amassed as a trader is what Mrs Ndhlovu – then a ZANAMACA national treasurer – took to Abuja, Nigeria, with help from TransAid, during a World Bank sponsored conference in 2011.
Mrs Ndhlovu was the odd one at the conference which was attended by eminent people in society, such as ministers and permanent secretaries. But her power point presentation on getting the harvest to the market and rural transport in Africa was voted the best.
Zambia, through her presentation, was voted number one out of the 18 participating African countries.
“I came out number one out of 18 countries because I spoke from experience while others were basing their presentations on theory,” she said.
Her moving presentation changed the participants’ earlier perception of her besides earning herself the title of professor.
After the Abuja experience, Mrs Ndhlovu was invited to attend another conference in the United Kingdom where she made a presentation on food security and health impact in Africa.
In 2012, she attended another conference in South Africa on linking farmers to the markets where she again made a presentation.
In 2014, Ms Ndhlovu was invited by the European Union (EU) to attend the EU-Africa Summit in Brussels, Belgium. Late President Michael Sata was among other Heads of State that attended the summit.
Before that, in 2013, she received a call from CEO Magazine of South Africa that her name was nominated as one of the most influential women in Africa in Business and Government and she was availed application forms for her to fill in and attach her curriculum vitae.
Ms Ndlhovu was among 33 applicants from 33 different African countries and out of that number, participants from eight countries were selected in various sectors and Zambia was among South Africa,
Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Mauritius, Egypt and Morocco.
She was then interviewed via Skype by three judges, basing their questions on her submission and obviously some people were sent to Zambia to verify Mrs Ndhlovu’s application.
Mrs Ndhlovu’s submission on agriculture earned her the CEO Magazine’s Most Influential Women in Business and Government award besides featuring in the 2014/2015 issue of the same magazine!
She now boasts of being a successful mark trader who has travelled widely, thanks to her fellow traders and other stakeholders for being supportive to her. Above all, the staunch Seventh Day Adventist Church member gives glory to God for everything.
“God loves me. There is a purpose why he (God) is still keeping me,” she said. Mrs Ndhlovu said she has succeeded as a trader because of being social, persistent, patient and generous.
She urges women not give in to self-pity as that is very dangerous.
She reiterated that it was not easy to get to the level she has reached as people used to laugh at her and her sister but the siblings ignored the ridicule and soldiered on.
With a valuable asset like Ms Ndhlovu, Zambia stands to benefit a lot from her input, if only she can be given a listening ear.