Chirundu District is a district of Southern Province, Zambia.[1][2] Its headquarters is Chirundu. It was separated from Siavonga District by President Michael Sata in 2012.[3][4] As of the 2022 Zambian Census, the district had a population of 78,780 people.[5]

Chirundu District
District location in Zambia
District location in Zambia
Country Zambia
ProvinceSouthern Province
Area
 • Total
1,386 km2 (535 sq mi)
Population
 (2022)
 • Total
78,780
 • Density57/km2 (150/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (CAT)

History

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Before 2012, Chirundu was part of Siavonga District in the Southern Province of Zambia. Then, President Michael Sata decided in 2012 to create the Chirundu District (which consequentially led to the Chirundu Constituency being created for the next general election), effectively declaring that Chirundu will have its own town council administration (no-longer under Siavonga).[3][4] Afterwards, the President decided to move Chirundu District from Southern Province to Lusaka Province while Siavonga would remain in Southern Province.[3][4]

Nine years later, on 17 November 2021, President Hakainde Hichilema announced his intention to reverse the move done by late former President Michael Sata.[6][7] President Hichilema officially declared Chirundu as part of Southern Province (no-longer part of Lusaka Province), thereby returning the district to its original province, with the support of some chiefs.[6][7] Once this move was done, the Kafue River returned to forming the entire boundary between the Lusaka and Southern provinces, just as it did before 2012.

References

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  1. ^ "Districts of Zambia". Statoids. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  2. ^ "Zambia: Administrative Division". citypopulation. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c "Chirundu: Border town on the move – Zambia Daily Mail". www.daily-mail.co.zm. Retrieved 2020-10-09.
  4. ^ a b c "Zambia: Chirundu Moved to Lusaka". allAfrica. 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  5. ^ 2022 Census of Population and Housing - Preliminary Report (PDF)
  6. ^ a b "Zambia : President Hichilema to give back Chirundu and Itezhi Districts to Southern Province". Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  7. ^ a b "South Chiefs Want Itezhi-Tezhi And Chirundu Districts Realigned Back To Southern Province". Phoenix FM. 2021-10-20. Archived from the original on 2021-11-18. Retrieved 2021-11-18.

16°08′S 28°41′E / 16.133°S 28.683°E / -16.133; 28.683