August 21

August 21 is the 233rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 133 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events

Pre-colonial period (before 1890)

• c. 1800 – Oral tradition of the Lungu people marks 21 August as the symbolic start of the Ukusefya Pa Ng’wena migration narrative, commemorating their arrival at the Chambeshi floodplain.
• 21 August 1851 – Scottish explorer David Livingstone crosses the Kabompo River en route to Barotseland; records “open woodland and well-ordered villages.”

Colonial era (1890–1964)

• 21 August 1900 – British South Africa Company designates Ndola as the administrative capital of North-Eastern Rhodesia.
• 21 August 1923 – Northern Rhodesia Police deployed to arrest members of the Watchtower movement in Serenje District.
• 21 August 1941 – Roan Antelope Mine expands smelter capacity by 35%; celebrated with a parade and sports day.
• 21 August 1953 – Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland adopts its first joint postage stamps.
• 21 August 1962 – ANC and UNIP hold parallel rallies in Kitwe after electoral violence; colonial government bans both meetings.

Post-independence politics

• 21 August 1969 – President Kaunda opens the Copperbelt Agricultural and Commercial Show in Kitwe.
• 21 August 1983 – UNIP launches updated party manifesto, including decentralisation proposals.
• 21 August 1991 – Final sitting of the one-party parliament is held before Zambia’s first multiparty elections.
• 21 August 2011 – Electoral Commission of Zambia announces 20 September as official election day.
• 21 August 2021 – President-elect Hakainde Hichilema meets security chiefs to ensure peaceful transition.

Legal and constitutional affairs

• 21 August 1993 – Government gazettes the Electoral (Amendment) Regulations, introducing new party registration rules.
• 21 August 2016 – Constitutional Court hears opening arguments in the presidential petition.
• 21 August 2024 – Anti-Corruption Commission launches inquiry into undisclosed land transactions in Lusaka West.

Economy and labour

• 21 August 1959 – African Mineworkers’ Union signs Zambia’s first productivity-based bonus agreement with Anglo American.
• 21 August 1974 – Bank of Zambia releases updated currency series featuring President Kaunda.
• 21 August 1999 – COMESA summit in Lusaka adopts regional economic integration protocol.
• 21 August 2008 – Zambia Revenue Authority publishes revised PAYE tax bands effective 1 September.
• 21 August 2023 – FNB Zambia launches digital-only banking service targeting small businesses.

Sports history

• 21 August 1994 – Zambia defeats Ghana 2–1 in CAN qualifier at Independence Stadium.
• 21 August 2002 – Zambia U-23 draws 1–1 with Egypt in Olympic qualifier in Cairo.
• 21 August 2016 – Zambia wins 4 medals (2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze) at SADC Games in Angola.
• 21 August 2023 – ZESCO United wins Charity Shield, beating Green Buffaloes 2–0 at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.

Arts and culture

• 21 August 1975 – National Theatre Arts Association of Zambia (NATAAZ) founded in Lusaka.
• 21 August 1992 – Radio 4 begins cultural programming in Icibemba, Chinyanja, and Silozi.
• 21 August 2010 – Mampi releases her second album Natural Born Star.
• 21 August 2021 – National Arts Council hosts hybrid workshop on post-COVID music performance.

Environment and climate

• 21 August 2000 – Zambia Environmental Council begins ambient air quality testing in Ndola and Kabwe.
• 21 August 2012 – ZESCO reports Kariba water levels at 484.33 m, a 2.1 m drop from July.
• 21 August 2025 – National Drought Monitoring Centre issues rainfall deficit bulletin for Southern and Eastern Provinces.

Disasters and incidents

• 21 August 1978 – House fire in Chilenje kills six; sparks national fire safety awareness campaign.
• 21 August 2003 – Train derailment near Chililabombwe kills one and injures 13.
• 21 August 2020 – Gas leak in Lusaka Central Hospital’s generator room leads to full building evacuation.

Religion and missionary history

• 21 August 1886 – Methodist missionaries establish mission station at Kanyembo (now in Luapula Province).
• 21 August 1971 – UCZ Women’s Fellowship holds first national convention in Ndola.
• 21 August 2018 – Ecumenical meeting in Kitwe promotes interfaith response to national disasters.

Astronomical data – 21 August 2025

• Sunrise: 06:20
• Sunset: 17:58
• Moonrise: 05:14
• Moonset: 17:40

Sources and further reading

• National Archives of Zambia
• Zambia Daily Mail and Times of Zambia archives
• Electoral Commission of Zambia reports
• Zambia Meteorological Department and ZEMA
• Livingstone Museum oral histories
• FAZ and Olympic Committee of Zambia bulletins
• Ministry of Arts and Tourism records
• ZNBC and UCZ archives