The sticker on the metallic green Toyota Sprinter caught in an early morning traffic jam in Zambia's capital of Lusaka is a familiar sight: "There goes another vehicle donated by Transport Aid Japan."
Over the past four years, hundreds of Japanese used cars have come to this poor southern African country, purchased by Zambian companies and individuals over the Internet through Transport Aid Japan, a charity organization.
For many ordinary Zambians, the dream of owning a car has suddenly seemed attainable and they have been spending hours on the Internet, filing out applications for a free or cheap used car from Transport Aid Japan.
So popular have become the used cars here that they are commonly referred to as "dotcoms" because they are purchased over the Internet.
"I never thought that one day, I would own a car," says Jack Bwalya, a civil servant who is one of the beneficiaries of the donated second-hand vehicles from Japan, where used cars are discarded.
Transport Aid Japan donates used vehicles that are between eight and 12 years old but are in good condition to be used in various parts of Africa.
Those who do not qualify for a free vehicle such as private businesses can still buy used cars from the charity at a reasonably cheap price.
"I bought my car for only US$250," said Peter Mwale, a newspaper vendor, who is a proud owner of a grey Toyota Carina, which he bought from the charity.
The only major cost, he said, was freight which cost about US$1,000 to ship the car from Japan to the port of Durban in South Africa.
"I feel rich to own a car and everyone in our family is excited," Mwale said with a smile.
Prices of new cars are skyhigh in Zambia. The cheapest Toyota model sells for more than US$10,000.
The Japanese "dotcoms" have even generated spinoffs for locals like Chris Mutale who charges a fee to help Zambians fill out the applications.
"If you want a free car just go to www.transportaid.com," Mutale said.
The founder of Transport Aid Japan, Julie Berg, recently told a local magazine, that her organization donates vehicles to charities, government departments, farmers, councils and individuals involved in humanitarian work.
"The biggest problem most African agencies and individuals face is transport and that is why we came up with this organization to make transportation a reality for many poor people," Berg said.
The used cars are also fueling traffic problems in Lusaka but on that score, the Japanese have also stepped in to help.
Under an aid program from the Japanese government, some of the main roads in Lusaka have been expanded from single lanes to three lanes in an effort to get rid of traffic jams in the capital city.
Meanwhile, car salesmen complain that sales of new cars have dropped as a result of the "dotcoms."
"There has been a reduction in the sales of motor vehicles by recognized dealers as a result of the easy access to vehicles from Japan," said Kenson Simwanza, sales manager at Motormart, a dealer in brand new vehicles.
"Despite this, we have our own clients who want to buy brand new vehicles because they are durable and reliable," Simwanza said.
Driving a "dotcom" in Zambia however is also a symbol of your status as one of Zambia's millions of poor.
A former British colony, Zambia ranks among the world's poorest nations.
"I can't drive a dotcom car. I'm above that," said Fred Mwebe, a computer scientist, who drives a BMW.
The Zambian government is also trying to cash in on the influx of the Japanese used cars by introducing in its last budget a 20 percent duty tax on cars that have a seating capacity below 14.
Despite the high taxes, Zambians have not been discouraged from acquiring the dotcom vehicles from Japan.
AIR SUPPORT: The Ministry of National Defense thanked the US for the delivery, adding that it was an indicator of the White House’s commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) and Representative to the US Alexander Yui on Friday attended a delivery ceremony for the first of Taiwan’s long-awaited 66 F-16C/D Block 70 jets at a Lockheed Martin Corp factory in Greenville, South Carolina. “We are so proud to be the global home of the F-16 and to support Taiwan’s air defense capabilities,” US Representative William Timmons wrote on X, alongside a photograph of Taiwanese and US officials at the event. The F-16C/D Block 70 jets Taiwan ordered have the same capabilities as aircraft that had been upgraded to F-16Vs. The batch of Lockheed Martin
GRIDLOCK: The National Fire Agency’s Special Search and Rescue team is on standby to travel to the countries to help out with the rescue effort A powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighboring Thailand yesterday, killing at least three people in Bangkok and burying dozens when a high-rise building under construction collapsed. Footage shared on social media from Myanmar’s second-largest city showed widespread destruction, raising fears that many were trapped under the rubble or killed. The magnitude 7.7 earthquake, with an epicenter near Mandalay in Myanmar, struck at midday and was followed by a strong magnitude 6.4 aftershock. The extent of death, injury and destruction — especially in Myanmar, which is embroiled in a civil war and where information is tightly controlled at the best of times —
China's military today said it began joint army, navy and rocket force exercises around Taiwan to "serve as a stern warning and powerful deterrent against Taiwanese independence," calling President William Lai (賴清德) a "parasite." The exercises come after Lai called Beijing a "foreign hostile force" last month. More than 10 Chinese military ships approached close to Taiwan's 24 nautical mile (44.4km) contiguous zone this morning and Taiwan sent its own warships to respond, two senior Taiwanese officials said. Taiwan has not yet detected any live fire by the Chinese military so far, one of the officials said. The drills took place after US Secretary
THUGGISH BEHAVIOR: Encouraging people to report independence supporters is another intimidation tactic that threatens cross-strait peace, the state department said China setting up an online system for reporting “Taiwanese independence” advocates is an “irresponsible and reprehensible” act, a US government spokesperson said on Friday. “China’s call for private individuals to report on alleged ‘persecution or suppression’ by supposed ‘Taiwan independence henchmen and accomplices’ is irresponsible and reprehensible,” an unnamed US Department of State spokesperson told the Central News Agency in an e-mail. The move is part of Beijing’s “intimidation campaign” against Taiwan and its supporters, and is “threatening free speech around the world, destabilizing the Indo-Pacific region, and deliberately eroding the cross-strait status quo,” the spokesperson said. The Chinese Communist Party’s “threats
RSS